Spork

Arsenault’s quirky and loveable illustrations immediately set the tone for a story about a spork who feels like he sticks out for his mixed-configuration, not fitting in with the distinct groups of spoon or fork. Though his “mum” (a spoon) and dad (a fork) think he’s perfect, the hurtful comment of “What are you, anyway?” and lack of invitations to the kitchen table push him to alter his appearance to fit in. But a bowler hat makes him look “too round” to the forks, and a spiky crown makes him look “too pointy” to the spoons. Then one day, when the “messy thing”—a baby—arrives in the kitchen and wreaks havoc, Spork is just the utensil to get the job done: “Just a bit round. Just a bit pointy. Just right.” The predominantly black-and-white illustrations with a splattering of red-orange and light blue impressively portray Spork’s story and boast loads of fun kitchen tools, unique cutlery facial expressions, and an entertaining reveal of the toddler. The element of Spork using a bowler hat and crown to fit in with different groups provides a powerful remark on the hardship of pleasing both sides when caught in the middle. As a republished board book edition of Maclear’s debut children’s book, Spork is a substantive and meaningful read for young minds. Not only is it a fun story, but its deeper lessons on tolerance, diversity, mixed families (inspired by Maclear’s own childhood), and individuality provide for great discussion prompts as readers grow and develop.