CBR15Passport book set another country: Davide Cali is a Swiss-born Italian and book was originally in French
I had forgotten I had requested Abigail the Whale when I received the email saying it was on hold for me at the library. Why did I request this book? I remembered when I saw the cover. Oh, yes, this was the book about body image. Now where did I see it again? That did not matter as I quickly realized this is a book that it does not matter where you say, or why you wanted to read, but that it should not be a hidden. Yes, it is from 2016 (in the book world that is basically put up a RIP sign) but people need to know this book. Is it perfect? No. But it is one of the better body image books that I have read. Perhaps this is because David Cali wrote this book in French as Marlene Baleine, therefore, not having some of the “American hangups” we have about books written about “fat people.” Sure, the bullying comes into play, but there is also a “newer” approach to dealing with it.
We see how Abigail dislikes Wednesdays and swimming lessons. We see how the other kids tease her and call her “a whale” when she makes a large splash diving into the pool. Those feelings of being larger than life are tastefully done, with the right amount of embarrassment on Abigail’s part, but not shaming her. The art of Sonja Bougaeva shows this in a humorous manner with sweet and fun illustrations, but it does not cheapen the message. The colors are strong, the details work to show the idea presented, but are not crowded, in fact some are minimalistic to focus just on that point.
Abigail’s story will be relatable to any child who is fat. Not plus sized. Or plump. Or a “big girl/boy.” Nope, fat. That might be a make or break for some people I am sure, but for me, go Fat! Take it back! And the interesting approach the swimming coach takes with Abigail to give her a better comfort level works well. Not a “feel good about yourself” attitude, but a “you are what you think” attitude (subtle differences). So, you need to jump, pretend to be a kangaroo. You need to dive into the water, become a rocket. This book deals with realistic situations and, honestly, there is not a “neat fix” to it (spoiler: bullies bully and there is none of that “they see the errors of their ways,” but just Abigail knowing how to manage it).
