The Fib out now from Gloo Books; 32 pages
About the Author: “Pedro Iniguez is a Mexican-American Bram Stoker, Elgin, and Dwarf Stars Award-winning science-fiction and horror writer from Los Angeles. He has also been a Rhysling finalist and Puschart Prize and Best of the Net nominee. […] Apart from leading writing workshops and speaking at several colleges, he has also been a sensitivity reader and has ghostwritten for award-winning apps and online clients” (Bio from author’s website).
Find Pedro Iniguez on the following platforms:
About the Illustrator: “Nathan is a Hong Kong American illustrator, writer, and designer from suburban Texas. At least, he thinks he is. He might be two pigs in a trenchcoat. Either way, he likes to tell stories that make you laugh, cry, or at least go “huh”. When he is not doodling or smashing his keyboard, you can find him at your nearest ice cream parlor sampling too many flavors. He will probably get chocolate in the end. […] Nathan received his Bachelors with Honors from Art Center College of Design and is pursuing his Masters at the Cambridge School of Art” (Bio from illustrator’s website).
Find Nathan Kwan on the following platforms:
One the first day of second grade, it’s show-and-tell time for the second graders in Mrs. Apple’s class. The students share things like their hobbies and pets, all except for a boy named Pepe. When it’s his turn, Pepe is too embarrassed to share the comic book he spent the entire summer creating. He feels a ball of lint in his pocket that inspires him to tell his first lie: Pepe has a special pet. Describing it as a monstrous-looking creature, Pepe says that this “special pet” is a “fib.” Looking down at his hand, Pepe sees that the pocket lint is replaced by the creature he just described! With each falsehood that Pepe says, the “fib” grows bigger and hungrier, wreaking havoc upon his elementary school. With the help of Mrs. Apple, Pepe learns that there is only one way to tame the “fib” and save his school.
Although The Fib is a story intended for children between the ages of three to eight years-old, the overarching theme of honesty is also a helpful reminder for older children, and even adults. Pepe is a character with whom the audience can empathize with, especially since his experiences are universal. I, for one, have experienced a “fib” of mine turn into a thing so monstrous that I, too, had to defeat it the same way Pepe did. The story’s message is paired very well with, and awakened by, the book’s illustration. The book’s illustrations help bring Pepe’s narrative to life in interesting and creative ways. When Pepe’s “fib” begins to grow out of control, the illustrations incorporate darker colors and emphasize the beast-like qualities of the fib. A particular aspect of the illustrations that I liked, especially as a Hispanic, was the visual diversity of Pepe and his peers. Most of the picture books I read as a young girl rarely featured non-white characters, so it was heartwarming to see this detail in the story. All together, The Fib is an encouraging and accessible read for young audiences. It shows the complexities and dangers of starting and trying to maintain a lie, but also teaches young readers not to be ashamed of their passions, interests, or themselves.
Pine Reads Review would like to thank NetGalley and Gloo Books for sending us an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Any quotes are taken from an advanced copy and may be subject to change before final publication.
Abigail Ortiz, Pine Reads Review Writer and Editor