Abigail the Whale
by Davide Cali (Author) Sonja Bougaeva (Illustrator)
Abigail dreads swimming lessons. Every time she dives into the pool, she makes a big splash, and all the girls in her class shout: "Abigail's a whale!" Abigail can see that she is larger than the other girls. She feels huge, heavy, and out of place.
Abigail's swimming teacher takes her aside and points out: we can change how we see ourselves. He offers a creative visualization technique she can use to feel bolder, more confident, and more accepting of herself. Abigail tries it out in challenging situations that week--walking home in the dark, eating her vegetables, trying to fall asleep. Illustrations in the book show her perspective morphing powerfully to match her new thought patterns.
Next time she's in swimming class, instead of feeling heavy, Abigail thinks sardine, eel, barracuda, shark! She starts to figure out how to draw on mindfulness, creative thinking, resilience, and positive self-esteem to embrace exactly who she is. This picture book supports social/emotional learning and serves as a perfect jumping-off point for topics like bullying, empathy, confidence, and creative problem solving.
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School Library Journal
PreS-Gr 2--Abigail hates Wednesday--swimming day. She hates the cold shower. She detests all the swimming strokes. She doesn't like feeling too big and heavy to be a good swimmer. She especially hates how when she dives in the water and makes a big splash, all the kids yell, "Abigail is a whale!" After class her coach gives her some advice--"We are what we think." All week long Abigail takes his advice to heart. She thinks giant to feel brave, kangaroo to jump high, statue to ignore a shot's sting, and rabbit to eat all her carrots, and to her amazement it works every time. On swimming day she's ready. She thinks stone not to feel the icy shower, rocket to dive without a splash, and then kayak, surfboard, submarine, and speedboat to master all the swim strokes. The other kids don't yell anything at all this time, but Betty says, "You're such a good swimmer now, you should jump from the high diving board!" Abigail takes the challenge, and from the top she thinks super whale and joyously cannonballs into the water below. Coincidentally (or not) the illustration shows the resulting wave splashing only Betty. Bougaeva's realistic illustrations perfectly complement the text, giving life to Abigail's thoughts and her reality, often in the same spread. Use of multiple fonts and text placement makes for fun reading and enlivens the story. VERDICT This tale of positive thinking is a great jumping-off point for a discussion about teasing, self-esteem, empathy, and perspective.-Catherine Callegari, formerly at Gay--Kimball Library, Troy, NH
Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.Review quotes
"Will make one see that bullies don't always get the better of people and that self-confidence is a powerful thing... The illustrations help tell this story of a brave young girl who overcomes bullying by the power of thought. Students would benefit from this story and it can be used to support self-confidence and anti-bullying behaviour. Recommended."
—School Library Connection
"The harsh words of bullies become insignificant as Abigail faces the waters with confidence, pigtails, and an orange polka-dotted swimsuit. Perfect for virtues programs and character building at home or in classrooms."
—Foreword Reviews
JUV039140 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Self-Esteem & Self-Reliance
JUV039230 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Bullying
JUV032060 - Juvenile Fiction | Sports & Recreation | Water Sports
Self-confidence in children
Self-confidence
Bullying
Self-actualization (Psychology)
Swimming
Overweight persons
Emotions & Feelings
Sports & Recreation
Self-actualization (Psychology) in children
Social Themes
Water sports
Overweight children
Self-Esteem & Self-Reliance
