Genre: This book is realistic fiction because the characters and events could exist in real life and are believable.
Age Level: Grade 2-4
Summary: Jigsaw Pony is a story about twin girls, Fran and Kiera, that get the pet they have longed for- a pony named Jigsaw. For two girls that fight and argue over almost everything, they agree that they both love Jigsaw. The pony can do many things except jump and gallop for long periods of time. The girls wonder if something is wrong with them or is something wrong with Jigsaw.
Reflection:
If I were to give this book a rating, I would give it three out of four stars. Jigsaw Pony would make an excellent choice for children transitioning from beginning readers to chapter books. The vocabulary is not too difficult, there is an appropriate amount of illustrations, and it is organized with the right amount of white space for young readers. It is written in third-person-limited-omniscient point of view as the reader occasionally gets glimpses into the horse's mind. On page 35, Jigsaw's thoughts are, "He loved all the girls he'd met today." Again on page 109, "He didn't miss Valerie. He was too happy." This book skirts on the edge of fantasy because there are a few episodes in the book, along with the occasional omniscient point of view by Jigsaw, that make the story somewhat unbelievable. In one part of the book, Jigsaw hops into the family station wagon. Another episode describes the horse climbing stairs in the school building for show-n-tell. I suppose these events could happen in real life, but it is highly unlikely. I think these episodes in the story would appeal to young children and keep them interested in reading the story, especially those children reading their first chapter book, which is quite a feat for some students. For me, these parts of the story seemed a bit ridiculous which is why I did not want to give the fourth star.
Jigsaw Pony is an emotional realism story because of the realistic feelings and relationships among the characters. The twins fight and argue which is typical behavior amongst siblings. This makes young children able to relate to the characters. An example of this is on page 48: "They didn't want to choose spaghetti. They didn't want to do Rock Paper Scissors. They didn't even want to argue, which was unusual." The nuclear family (mother, father, two sisters) in the book is very wholesome and the theme throughout the story is responsibility. Teachers and parents could use this book to teach character education and responsibility to children. There is limited conflict, except for the consistent arguing and fighting between the twins, and Jigsaw's lack of physical activities, which makes for a simple story line. Overall, it is a "feel good," "happy family" book with a positive message. Girls, horse lovers, and twins would enjoy this book as well as those readers venturing into their first chapter books.
Big Question: Fran and Kiera are always fighting and arguing throughout the story. How do you find ways to get along with others?
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