I loved the illustrations! I love how each fork and spoon look different. I enjoy the story line of being a mixture and feeling the need to be one or the other and failing. Classic "you are okay just the way you are" ending.

Wonderfully illustrated. It's ok to be different. ( )

Spork feels bad about himself because he is different from all the other silverware. It is rare for spoons and forks to make and have someone like the spork. He doesn’t feel like he fits in anywhere and tries to change himself. When he’s more like a spoon, the forks don’t like him. When he’s more like a fork, the spoons don’t like him. In the end, he realizes he is a perfect match for a baby and its food. I would recommend this book to children because it teaches self acceptance, and the different kinds of silverware hint at diversity. They may also enjoy hearing the story from the spork’s point of view. I enjoyed this book because I like how the spork was able to feel useful in the end and feel like he had a purpose.

Author Kyo Maclear was the daughter of a British father and Japanese mother; her family background was what prompted her to write the picture book Spork. Spork's mother is a spoon, and his father is a fork, which causes him to stick out among all of the other cutlery in the kitchen. "Mixing was uncommon." Spork then decided that life would be easier if he were just one utensil and not two, so he attempts to change who he is in hopes of being chosen for the dinner table. After many failed attempts and feeling a loss sense of purpose, Spork is finally selected by the "messy thing" for dinnertime. The "messy thing" needed something that was both fork and spoon, which made Spork the perfect fit. I love the meaning behind the author's words and believe it is a fun and relatable read for students. I would use this book when introducing or teaching "theme" to my fourth or fifth grade English class; the theme of a story is the moral lesson or message from the text, and the theme from Spork is about everyone having a significant purpose in life. One thing I noticed while reading the story, is that the author has specific words or phrases bolded on each page that correlate with the theme of the story. After reading Spork, I responded quite well to the central message of the story and felt like even though I differ from my peers, I am just as important and capable as anyone else. ( )