Number One Sam

by Greg Pizzoli, Greg Pizzoli (Illustrator)

Overview

An acclaimed, winning tale about losing — from champion humorist and three-time Geisel-recipient Greg Pizzoli


They're off! Sam is the best race-car driver in history — he is number one at every race! But when his best friend, Maggie, shows that she has racing talent of her own, Sam doesn't know how to handle coming in second place. Will he learn what it truly means to be a winner? With his signature light touch, Greg Pizzoli's upbeat story about being a good sport is perfect for read-aloud.


* "Another winner from Pizzoli." —Publisher's Weekly, starred review


* "The simple yet exciting text drives the story forward and will make it a popular choice at storytimes." —School Library Journal, starred review


Don't miss these other favorites from Greg Pizzoli:
The Watermelon Seed
Good Night Owl
The Book Hog
The Twelve Days of Christmas
Templeton Gets His Wish
This Story is for You

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781423171119
Publisher:	Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication date:	05/13/2014
Pages:	40
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 10.38(h) x 0.38(d)
Lexile:	510L (what's this?)
Age Range:	3 - 5 Years

About the Author

Greg Pizzoli is the creator of the Baloney & Friends series as well as a three-time Theodor Seuss Geisel Award recipient for The Watermelon Seed(Medal winner), The Book Hog (Honor book), and Good Night Owl (Honor book). He is also the author-illustrator of This Story Is for You, The 12 Days of Christmas, Templeton Gets His Wish, and Number One Sam. His nonfiction for children includes the New York Times Best Illustrated Book The Impossible True Story of Tricky Vic: The Man Who Sold the Eiffel Tower, and he has also illustrated picture books written by authors such as Mac Barnett, Kelly DiPucchio, Jennifer Adams, and Margaret Wise Brown. He lives in Philadelphia.

Editorial Reviews

…Pizzoli's zingy ice-pop colors and dramatically varied page compositions take home the blue ribbon.

The New York Times Book Review - Sarah Harrison Smith

★ 03/03/2014
Sam the dog is a champion race-car driver, and he has the trophy wall to prove it. But racing isn’t just a sport for Sam—it’s his whole identity, and when he loses to his best friend Maggie the elephant, he’s truly shaken up. “The night before the next race, Sam didn’t sleep one wink,” writes Geisel Award–winner Pizzoli (The Watermelon Seed). Will Sam do anything to win back his title? What if it means mowing down five oblivious chicks who decide to cross the track at the very moment the race’s outcome hangs in the balance? One thing’s certain: this is another winner from Pizzoli, who employs the same naïf drawing style and four-color spot printing technique that gave his debut a silly sweetness and distinctly artisanal feel. Working with a more straightforward narrative this time, Pizzoli adeptly builds tension and sympathy for Sam, so that even when the story wraps up with a familiar lesson—a little sportsmanship and selflessness go a long way—it feels like everybody really does win. Ages 3–5. Agent: Steven Malk, Writers House. (May)

Publishers Weekly

* "A polished work, from the words to the finish on the race cars."—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

* "Another winner from Pizzoli"—Publisher's Weekly, starred review

* "The simple yet exciting text drives the story forward and will make it popular choice at storytimes."—School Library Journal, starred review

From the Publisher

★ 04/01/2014
PreS-Gr 1—Sam is used to winning everything, including car racing, his sport of choice. His wall of trophies and trinkets show off his talent for success until the day the unthinkable happens: the pup loses the big race because he stops for a group of oblivious chickens in the middle of the track. Then his cheering friends and the chickens let him know that he is still number one with them. Children will be able to relate to Sam's disappointment when he loses while also understanding the concept that winning isn't always everything. Pizzoli's playful, cartoon illustrations perfectly showcase the message in a fun way yet never come off as didactic. Pizzoli's use of four-color art provides an airy, uncluttered vision for his story that will definitely attract children. The simple yet exciting text drives the story forward and will make it a popular choice at storytimes.—Christopher Lassen, Brooklyn Public Library

School Library Journal

★ 2014-02-12
There's more than one way to be the big dog in the little bestiary. Sam is top dog when it comes to zipping his red roadster around the track. "He was number one in speed. / He was number one at turns. // And he was number one at finishing races in the number-one spot." Like Sam, Geisel winner Pizzoli's artwork is crackerjack, too, with pure cupcake colors, French curves, blocks of high-octane negative space and personable animal pals. Then comes the day that Sam doesn't cross the finish line first. Fortunately, Sam proves not to be a poor loser, but his self-confidence sure takes a shellacking. He's a wreck, figuratively. When the next big race comes up, he even forgets to wish his friend Maggie good luck. After a slow start, Sam takes the lead. "Sam would be number one again!" Whoa! Five yellow, bespectacled chicks are on the racetrack. Sam hits the brakes and gathers up the peepsters as his friends steam by to the finish line. No. 1 takes on a whole new meaning. Pizzoli's story is a simple class act. Do the right thing—you can't lose, ever. And most of the time, the right thing is no great philosophical conundrum but as clear as the checkered flag. A polished work, from the words to the finish on the race cars. (Picture book. 3-5)

Kirkus Reviews