Meet Myrtle, the circle who isnât quite like the others. Myrtle's a little wobbly and off-center, and he feels pretty down about it. But things take a hilarious turn when Myrtle meets Betty, the perfectly round circle who loves asking questions. Together with their friendsâSunny Yellow, Greeny Green, and Polly PurpleâMyrtle discovers that being different can be pretty awesome. Join Myrtle and his perfectly round pals on a rollicking adventure where they learn that sometimes, a little wobble is just what you need to squeeze through tight spots and roll through life with a smile. This delightful board book, perfect for little readers and big smiles, proves that every circle, no matter how wobbly, has its own special way of rolling.
Meet Myrtle, the circle who isnât quite like the others. Myrtle's a little wobbly and off-center, and he feels pretty down about it. But things take a hilarious turn when Myrtle meets Betty, the perfectly round circle who loves asking questions. Together with their friendsâSunny Yellow, Greeny Green, and Polly PurpleâMyrtle discovers that being different can be pretty awesome. Join Myrtle and his perfectly round pals on a rollicking adventure where they learn that sometimes, a little wobble is just what you need to squeeze through tight spots and roll through life with a smile. This delightful board book, perfect for little readers and big smiles, proves that every circle, no matter how wobbly, has its own special way of rolling.
Myrtle the Odd Circle is a children's picture book, written by Sara Wilson. The story follows Myrtle, an orange coloured shape that is not quite as round as her friends. The story takes readers on Myrtle's journey of self-acceptance, during which Myrtle begins to see that there may be some perks to being different after all.
A children's book of twenty four pages, Myrtle the Odd Circle comes in at the right length for its target demographic, aged up to three years old. Wilson describes herself as "a retired journalist and globe-trotter." When it comes to writing for younger audiences, Wilson also comments that she aims to create stories that "not only entertain but also educate and inspire young readers to appreciate the world around them." The book does not credit an illustrator, so the assumption has to be made that the author also provided the book's artwork.
While there are charming elements to this story, Myrtle the Odd Circle seems to miss the mark a little in its execution. The storytelling itself has the potential to explore interesting themes around inclusivity and acceptance, but instead the story structure is reduced to a series of walk-in characters approaching a sad Myrtle and asking her why she is sad. Only in the final few pages does Myrtle discover one way in which she can flip her perceived disadvantage into her superpower. This is followed by a somewhat lack lustre statement from the main character that "being different is okay". Even in children's books, some character development is always needed, otherwise you are left with a bunch of 2D characters that are unrelatable and not particularly likeable, either.
In terms of the writing style, the use of bracketed words for nearly every other line reads as somewhat sarcastic in tone. An Example:
âLet's find our friends,â says Betty.
(Betty always has a plan.)
They find Sunny.
âWhy so sad, Myrtle?â asks Sunny.
(Sunny is always sunny.)
âIâm not round like you,â
says Myrtle.
(Here we go again.)
This type of disjointed narration yanks the reader out of an immersive storytelling experience to be replaced with a somewhat cynical viewpoint in a book which should be aiming to reinforce positivity where possible.
Sadly, Myrtle the Odd Circle seems to miss the mark, and while the bones of a good story are there, it would take a good deal of revision to get it to the place it could have been. In fiction writing character development is king, and tone of voice is queen.
AEB Reviews