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Agatha
Desde el momento en que nació, Agatha se sintió distinta.
Y cuando empezó a ir a jardín de infantes, comenzó a preguntarse cómo haría para parecerse a sus compañeritos.
Esta es una historia que nos enseña que ser uno mismo es lo mejor, sin importar lo distintos que seamos de los demás.
Y cuando empezó a ir a jardín de infantes, comenzó a preguntarse cómo haría para parecerse a sus compañeritos.
Esta es una historia que nos enseña que ser uno mismo es lo mejor, sin importar lo distintos que seamos de los demás.
32 pages, Paperback
First published November 3, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
February 4, 2016
In a highly unlikely scenario, a pig and a bear are expecting a baby. Their names are Albert (the bear) and Victoria (the pig).
http://d28hgpri8am2if.cloudfront.net/...
After seeing that the parents in this book were named Albert and Victoria, I quickly flipped to the back flap in order to see the country of origin on this book: It's Australia. I thought so. ANYWAY,
Just as the leaves were falling, Agatha was born. She had her mother's ears and her father's nose.
http://d28hgpri8am2if.cloudfront.net/...
She is the product of the union of a bear and a pig. o.O Still think that's impossible, but okay.
When Agatha's family were all together, she didn't quite fit in.
Ah. We see the bear family on one side, and all the pig family standing on the other. Agatha doesn't quite fit in with either side. Is this book trying to be about a biracial child?
http://annapignataro.com/wp-content/u...
Then the book tries to tell us,
And when Agatha started kindergarten, she realized she was a little different from everyone else.
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I...
I find this hard to believe. We see Agatha's school, and it's stocked with pigs, bears, foxes, panda, moose, rabbits, koalas, sheep, and ducks. Surely if all those animals can go to school together and get along with each other (and not eat each other!) than a sweet little bear-pig would fit in just fine.
Agatha tries extra-hard to make friends. She comforts her little moose friend and puts a band-aid on her when she's cut. She shares her lunch with her little bunny friend. Although there is a class 'bully' – more like just an obnoxious kid – named George, it seems as if all the kids hate him. It's not a scenario where the other kids turn a blind eye to George teasing Agatha.
One day, Miss Tibble said that, like snowflakes and stars, everybody was special in their own way.
“I think I am special because I can make delicious cakes,” she said. “Who's next?”
She actually has a cake box that looks like a... I don't know, it looks weird, and it says CAKE on it in big letters. I found this hilarious. :D
Agatha is having a crisis. She doesn't know what makes her special. She's good at some stuff, but there's someone in the class who is better than her at everything: she loves soccer, but George is better at soccer than her; she is a good singer, but May is a better singer; she can do karate, but Yoko is better than her. In her embarrassment and shame, she makes a misguided decision to hide.
She thought that if she could be very, very quiet then everyone would forget that she was there, and she wouldn't have to say anything.
When show-and-tell (tell-and-tell?) is over, everyone looks everywhere for Agatha. No one can find her. When May breaks down in tears, Agatha finally relents and emerges from her hiding place, realizing that she's upset everyone. The teacher asks her what makes her special and she shrugs.
The class bully slyly suggests her skill at hiding is what makes her special? Everyone laughs. The teacher suggests Agatha might be special because she is a good helper. Yoko suggests that Agatha is special because she is good at making funny faces.
”I know why you are special, Agatha,” said May. “Because you are the best at being Agatha. No one else is a better Agatha than you.”
And everyone agreed. EL FIN
Well, that was a copout. Jeez. You're the best at being you? What a bunch of bullshit. I'm actually sad that Agatha didn't get to claim anything “real” as her “specialness.” “Just being you” would work for any individual, ugh, it's such a copout. How come all the other kids got an actual skill or talent and Agatha got shafted? That's not a happy ending, in my mind.
Also, is this book about being biracial? Because if it is, then I am a bit happier with the plot or lack thereof. We need more books about what it's like to be biracial – Agatha blowing out the candles on her cake in room where all the pigs stand on one side and all the bears are on the other is especially poignant. A lot of biracial kids find it hard to fit into either side, being caught in the middle of two cultures.
Agatha's a cute, sweet little kid with her pig ears and her bear face, it's hard to think she'd be ostracized at school or made to think she's the unclean result of an unholy union, but it's possible. I wish (if the book IS about biracial children) that the book was clearer as to what it was driving at here. When Agatha walks in to the classroom and sees tons of diversity, it's hard to believe she'd feel like she's different and doesn't fit in, but after seeing the Spanish film “Hiyab” by Xavi Sala, I can understand more easily. (Here's the short, 8-minute film in Spanish with English subtitles: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kE5h_F...).
Sidenote: I love the name “Agatha.” So that probably added to my enjoyment of the book.
I took this to my (adult, female) friend and she was very angry. She hated this book. She thought the teacher was cruel to put Agatha on the spot again right after finding her. I mean, this was a girl who was so traumatized about this activity that she was hiding. “She should have been given time and space to think about it, and she should have been allowed to answer for herself. Instead, everyone jumps down her throat with suggestions. They are putting their own perceptions and judgments on her and that is going to solidify in her mind instead of her discovering who she actually is. Their perceptions will form her. She's already struggling with her identity because she's interspecies, and now this.” I thought my friend made amazing points. The teacher should have been kinder and gentler with Agatha. Some children need a gentler touch.
Tl;dr – I thought this book was lacking. I was disappointed by the ending – I think Agatha should have had a unique thing to state that made her special, instead of her very existence (are they commenting on her being a result of an interspecies union?) Because that's bullshit. All the other kids get to state something they love, she is just shunted into being special for 'who she is' which has NOTHING to do with her talents or interests or personality. Oh, well, your parents are different and yet they produced you, a unique bear-pig child. Great, listen, she's not a fucking zoo exhibit. She is a sweet, loving child and she deserves a spotlight on her interests, damn it.
Also, the art was just okay. I didn't hate it, but I didn't exactly like it, either. And the plot was lacking, in my opinion.
HOWEVER, I would like to state here that the children adored the book and enjoyed reading it. So. What do I know?
Ages 0-6.
http://d28hgpri8am2if.cloudfront.net/...
After seeing that the parents in this book were named Albert and Victoria, I quickly flipped to the back flap in order to see the country of origin on this book: It's Australia. I thought so. ANYWAY,
Just as the leaves were falling, Agatha was born. She had her mother's ears and her father's nose.
http://d28hgpri8am2if.cloudfront.net/...
She is the product of the union of a bear and a pig. o.O Still think that's impossible, but okay.
When Agatha's family were all together, she didn't quite fit in.
Ah. We see the bear family on one side, and all the pig family standing on the other. Agatha doesn't quite fit in with either side. Is this book trying to be about a biracial child?
http://annapignataro.com/wp-content/u...
Then the book tries to tell us,
And when Agatha started kindergarten, she realized she was a little different from everyone else.
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I...
I find this hard to believe. We see Agatha's school, and it's stocked with pigs, bears, foxes, panda, moose, rabbits, koalas, sheep, and ducks. Surely if all those animals can go to school together and get along with each other (and not eat each other!) than a sweet little bear-pig would fit in just fine.
Agatha tries extra-hard to make friends. She comforts her little moose friend and puts a band-aid on her when she's cut. She shares her lunch with her little bunny friend. Although there is a class 'bully' – more like just an obnoxious kid – named George, it seems as if all the kids hate him. It's not a scenario where the other kids turn a blind eye to George teasing Agatha.
One day, Miss Tibble said that, like snowflakes and stars, everybody was special in their own way.
“I think I am special because I can make delicious cakes,” she said. “Who's next?”
She actually has a cake box that looks like a... I don't know, it looks weird, and it says CAKE on it in big letters. I found this hilarious. :D
Agatha is having a crisis. She doesn't know what makes her special. She's good at some stuff, but there's someone in the class who is better than her at everything: she loves soccer, but George is better at soccer than her; she is a good singer, but May is a better singer; she can do karate, but Yoko is better than her. In her embarrassment and shame, she makes a misguided decision to hide.
She thought that if she could be very, very quiet then everyone would forget that she was there, and she wouldn't have to say anything.
When show-and-tell (tell-and-tell?) is over, everyone looks everywhere for Agatha. No one can find her. When May breaks down in tears, Agatha finally relents and emerges from her hiding place, realizing that she's upset everyone. The teacher asks her what makes her special and she shrugs.
The class bully slyly suggests her skill at hiding is what makes her special? Everyone laughs. The teacher suggests Agatha might be special because she is a good helper. Yoko suggests that Agatha is special because she is good at making funny faces.
”I know why you are special, Agatha,” said May. “Because you are the best at being Agatha. No one else is a better Agatha than you.”
And everyone agreed. EL FIN
Well, that was a copout. Jeez. You're the best at being you? What a bunch of bullshit. I'm actually sad that Agatha didn't get to claim anything “real” as her “specialness.” “Just being you” would work for any individual, ugh, it's such a copout. How come all the other kids got an actual skill or talent and Agatha got shafted? That's not a happy ending, in my mind.
Also, is this book about being biracial? Because if it is, then I am a bit happier with the plot or lack thereof. We need more books about what it's like to be biracial – Agatha blowing out the candles on her cake in room where all the pigs stand on one side and all the bears are on the other is especially poignant. A lot of biracial kids find it hard to fit into either side, being caught in the middle of two cultures.
Agatha's a cute, sweet little kid with her pig ears and her bear face, it's hard to think she'd be ostracized at school or made to think she's the unclean result of an unholy union, but it's possible. I wish (if the book IS about biracial children) that the book was clearer as to what it was driving at here. When Agatha walks in to the classroom and sees tons of diversity, it's hard to believe she'd feel like she's different and doesn't fit in, but after seeing the Spanish film “Hiyab” by Xavi Sala, I can understand more easily. (Here's the short, 8-minute film in Spanish with English subtitles: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kE5h_F...).
Sidenote: I love the name “Agatha.” So that probably added to my enjoyment of the book.
I took this to my (adult, female) friend and she was very angry. She hated this book. She thought the teacher was cruel to put Agatha on the spot again right after finding her. I mean, this was a girl who was so traumatized about this activity that she was hiding. “She should have been given time and space to think about it, and she should have been allowed to answer for herself. Instead, everyone jumps down her throat with suggestions. They are putting their own perceptions and judgments on her and that is going to solidify in her mind instead of her discovering who she actually is. Their perceptions will form her. She's already struggling with her identity because she's interspecies, and now this.” I thought my friend made amazing points. The teacher should have been kinder and gentler with Agatha. Some children need a gentler touch.
Tl;dr – I thought this book was lacking. I was disappointed by the ending – I think Agatha should have had a unique thing to state that made her special, instead of her very existence (are they commenting on her being a result of an interspecies union?) Because that's bullshit. All the other kids get to state something they love, she is just shunted into being special for 'who she is' which has NOTHING to do with her talents or interests or personality. Oh, well, your parents are different and yet they produced you, a unique bear-pig child. Great, listen, she's not a fucking zoo exhibit. She is a sweet, loving child and she deserves a spotlight on her interests, damn it.
Also, the art was just okay. I didn't hate it, but I didn't exactly like it, either. And the plot was lacking, in my opinion.
HOWEVER, I would like to state here that the children adored the book and enjoyed reading it. So. What do I know?
Ages 0-6.
August 31, 2015
Utterly divine tale of embracing ones special-ness and differences. It's commonplace for small children to feel on the outer if their peers suddenly magnify insignificant differences in dramatic ways. Agatha experiences this at Kindy and thinks the best way to deal with the unwanted attention is to run away from it. With a little help from an understanding teacher she is able to turn around her negative feelings into positives. Simple and artfully illustrated, this is a sweet tale to share with those whose sense of self needs a little bolstering.
January 25, 2016
so cute and a great way to show children that everyone is different and we all have something special about ourselves. and very cute pictures
April 20, 2021
Agatha's parents are a bear and a pig, so let's suspend our disbelief and forget about the fact that those two creatures would not be capable of breeding. Once that is set aside, this is a three or four star picture book. Agatha is different, and her assortment of animal friends are better at things like soccer and singing than she is. So what makes Agatha special? Well, she's the best at being Agatha. A bit of a cop out - you're unique, just like everyone else! But it's kinda cute and feel good.
September 9, 2020
Purchase Agatha here for just $8!
What an adorable book and even cuter illustrations. Being Agatha is a story that lets kids know that it's ok to be different and that we all have something special about ourselves. Definitely worth a read.
Alicia - The Book Grocer
What an adorable book and even cuter illustrations. Being Agatha is a story that lets kids know that it's ok to be different and that we all have something special about ourselves. Definitely worth a read.
Alicia - The Book Grocer
December 9, 2025
The artwork is darling. I picked up the book because the cover is so sweet and charming. The story is a good one for kids who don't feel like they fit in, but the setup of having a bear for a father and a pig for a mother is strange. Not sure why it had to be like that, but if you can get past that, it's a sweet story.
January 9, 2016
Agatha never quite fit in, even with her family. She had her mother pig’s ears and her father bear’s nose. So when she went to school, Agatha worked extra hard to make friends. Then one day her teacher told the class that each special in different ways like stars or snowflakes. Everyone started talking about how they were each special. But not, Agatha. She slipped away and hid so she wouldn’t have to talk. When her friends finally found her, they offered lots of way that Agatha was special. The one she liked the best, was that she was the best at being Agatha!
http://julianaleewriter.com/books-ali...
http://julianaleewriter.com/books-ali...
June 22, 2016
The book about Agatha is a quick read that provides inspiration to children who feel bad for being different. The story starts off with a married couple of pigs that are waiting on a very special person. Agatha happens to be the very special person and when she attends her first day of kindergarten she realizes that she is a little different when compared to everyone else. In the end Agatha realizes that she is different but she is the best at being Agatha. Overall, this book has a great message for children who might be scared school for the first time. It helps them see that we are all different but great at being ourselves.
March 8, 2016
I wasn't in love with the illustrations here but I understood what the illustrator was aiming at simple. This is a beautiful story of a little girl who is the daughter of a bear and pig. She doesn't feel like she quit fits in especially when she starts school. can other's help her find what makes her special?
March 11, 2016
My six-year-old LOVES this book. She's named it one of her favourites. Agatha is a bit of a melting pot between two different animal types, which could be a synonym for different ethnicities. We love the striking illustrations, particularly the contrast between the charcoal lines, and the watercolour.
June 28, 2016
Perfect book for children who feel like they don't fit in. Agatha has a bear and a pig for parents, so she looks like both. She finally becomes comfortable in her own skin when her kindergarten teacher asks students to tell what makes each one special.
December 19, 2016
Her parents were a bear and a pig? I guess that proves she is different and an outsider, but that's a little too weird, haha!
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews