THE AWKWARD AVOCADO
by C.J. Zachary ; illustrated by Zac Zachary
An avocado struggles to fit in with its vegetable peers in C.J. Zachary’s debut picture book.
“Are there things you say or do, that might make others not ‘get’ you?” If so, you’re not the only one, according to this story. Using the titular awkward avocado as an example, the rhyming text asks readers if they don’t quite fit in with others or freeze up when receiving compliments or inject non sequiturs into a conversation, among other things. The avocado is pictured with a host of other produce (carrots, potatoes, asparagus, and so on), either acting oddly or looking uncomfortable depending on the situation. But the narration firmly asserts that it’s fine to just be yourself and do the things you like: “Look inside yourself and free / the very you you’re meant to be.” Zac Zachary’s full-color art is playful but somewhat amateurish and juvenile; for example, do the avocados and lemons truly need visible butt cracks? The book’s intentions are obviously sincere. However, the message to embrace who you truly are isn’t particularly original, and having it come from cartoon produce doesn’t give it a unique enough spin.
A well-intended work, but many other kids’ books get across its ideas with more skill.