CHAMP

A black sheep makes his mark.

Abtin Moleski’s an anomaly in his family. His forebears—whose stern-faced, medal-draped portraits hang on the walls—were trophy-winning athletes, while Abtin’s poor at sports and doesn’t care about winning. And unlike the other Moleskis, Abtin doesn’t have a mole above his upper lip. Abtin’s father reminds him that he must train, win trophies, wear a gold medal around his neck, eat certain breakfast foods, and sleep, dream, and walk in a prescribed manner. Throughout, the hyperbolic illustrations highlight the stark comparison between diminutive Abtin and his overbearing, glowering, red-faced father. But Abtin’s brushes, paints, and easels make clear his talents lie elsewhere. Troubled, Abtin wonders how to please his father. Finally, he has the solution. Wielding a red-saturated paintbrush, Abtin turns the scowls on his ancestors’ portraits into red smiles; acquiring a mole takes only a daub of black paint. Translated from Farsi, this reassuring, quirky tale mocks outrageous parental demands. Kids will chuckle at the conclusion; those whose parents have high expectations will recognize that the comic, over-exaggerated illustrations are sardonic commentaries. Readers will appreciate self-confident Abtin, an actual champ because he recognizes his own worth and, as an artist, creatively “fixes” his humorously outrageous situation. Abtin is light-skinned and dark-haired, while his family members vary in skin tone; at times, characters are depicted with fancifully red hues.

A winning reminder that those who believe in themselves are true champs.