Lili Macaroni

Format:

Book

Title:

Lili Macaroni

Uniform Title:

Lili Macaroni. English

Author:

Testa, Nicole author

ISBN:

9781772780932

Edition:

[English edition].

Publication:

Toronto, Ontario Canada : Pajama Press Inc., 2019.

Physical Description:

31 unnumbered pages : color illustrations ; 26 cm

General Note:

Translation of: Lili Macaroni: je suis comme je suis!

"First published in French by Éditions Héritage inc./Dominique et compagnie, Quebec, Canada" -- Title page verso.

Summary:

"Lili Macaroni loves every feature she has inherited from her family members, but when she starts kindergarten she is teased for those very traits. Burdened by unhappiness, she creates a polka-dotted butterfly and imagines it flying her sorrows away--and finds she has introduced a powerful tool for conversations about emotions, self-esteem, and resilience."-- Provided by publisher.

Subject(s):

Redheads -- Juvenile fiction.

Individual differences -- Juvenile fiction.

Difference (Psychology) -- Juvenile fiction.

Kindergarten -- Juvenile fiction.

Bullying -- Juvenile fiction.

Imagination -- Juvenile fiction.

Picture books for children.

Individuality -- Fiction.

Self-esteem -- Fiction.

Kindergarten -- Fiction.

Bullying -- Fiction.

Butterflies -- Fiction.

Genre:

Picture books for children.

Added Author:

Boulanger, Annie, 1978-

Holds:

Available:*

Library	Call Number	Status
Searching... Newberg Public Library	MYSELF TESTA	Searching... Unknown
Searching... West Salem Branch Library	JP Testa	Searching... Unknown

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

An accessible picture book about resilience, self-esteem, and the power of talking about emotions

Lili Macaroni loves drawing butterflies, counting the stars, and being exactly who she is--Lili Macaroni. That is, until she starts kindergarten. There her classmates tell her that her hair is like a pumpkin, her eyes are squinty blueberries, and her laugh is like a parrot's squawk. She has never felt such unhappiness before. It makes her want to erase herself and draw a brand new Lili. Then she reconsiders. Does she really want to erase her hair that's just like Mom's? Her eyes just like Grandma's? Her Grandpa's infectious laugh?

With her parents' help, she creates a polka-dotted butterfly to wear at her collar, publicly announcing her own resilience and symbolically letting her sorrows be flown away. And when she explains the butterfly to her classmates, Lili discovers she has begun a powerful conversation, and that everyone has some trouble to be carried away on butterfly wings.

In this accessible exploration of emotions and self-esteem, Nicole Testa and Annie Boulanger create a relatable heroine with inborn ingenuity and warm family support.

Reviews (2)

School Library Journal Review

PreS-Gr 2--Lili Macaroni is just right. She is an exuberant and lively child who has big red hair like her mom, blueberry-colored eyes like her grandmother, and freckles like her father. Best of all are her big laugh just like her grandfather's and the joy she finds in drawing her favorite polka-dotted butterflies. When it's time to go off to school for the first time, Lili is ready for the new adventure. Unfortunately, the casual cruelty of her schoolmates dims her joy. Taunts about her name's likeness to macaroni-and-cheese, her pumpkin-colored hair, and her parrot-like laugh cause Lili to consider how much better it might be to be someone completely different. With the gentle support of her parents, Lili makes a mature choice to communicate her hurt feelings to her teacher and classmates while realizing that she doesn't need to change after all. She uses her own beloved polka-dotted butterflies to help her heartache fade as she accepts her own uniqueness. The resolution isn't in the other children being kinder or abandoning their teasing. Although that is implied, the resolution that matters comes from within Lili as she draws upon her own inherent strength and resilience to overcome life's challenges. The illustrations are colorful and engaging, with clean lines and a contemporary feeling. VERDICT A comforting tale of self-acceptance following the tradition of Kevin Henkes's Chrysanthemum and Patty Lovell's Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon.--Alyssa Annico, Youngstown State University, OH

Kirkus Review

Self-confidence is hard to come by when classmates make fun of the things that make Lili Macaroni herself. Butterfly-loving Lili opens by telling readers where her signature traits came from: She's got Mom's red hair, Dad's freckles, Grandma's eyes, and Grandpa's "magical laugh." She proclaims: "I am the way I am." But when Lili starts school, not only does she learn the three R's, she learns "that a heart can ache" when her new friends tease her for those very special family traits. Lili tries to become a new girl, renaming herself Sophia, but how will her family members feel if she erases their parts? Luckily, Lili's wise father has a suggestion for easing the ache that also taps into her passion. He doesn't solve the problem for her; Lili herself takes the next step to let her class know why she has been so sad. And the next school day, everyone sports a polka-dot butterfly on their shoulder to help with their own heartaches. The tale ends with an older Lili, her bedroom ceiling a mass of butterflies. "My name is Lili Macaroni, and I am who I am." Boulanger's changing perspectives and use of shadows to stand in for other kids' teasing set the mood, Lili's exuberant brightness changing to more somber tones with her sadness. Lili and her family are white; there is one black classmate.From Qubec, a wonderfully empowering message to be yourself, with a strategy to ease heartache added for good measure. (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.