Spork

Spork sticks out. The product of an intercutlery marriage, Spork is a little bit spoonish and a little bit forkish, but not enough of either. He is tired of being asked, “What are you anyway?” And he’s especially tired of never being set for the table. When he decides to try being a single thing, the forks don’t like it when he looks too round, and the spoons don’t like it when he looks too pointy. What is he going to do? Then one day, a Messy Thing arrives, something that smears, spills and flings “without a care.” All the forks and spoons are at a loss as to what to do for the Messy Thing. But Spork knows exactly what is needed!

This is an endearing story with an appealing and sympathetic character in Spork. The language is simple and engaging, making the story a fun read-aloud. Isabelle Arsenault’s illustrations are rendered in mixed media, their colours soft and earth-toned, and with a silvery finish as though the reader is spending time in a kitchen or cutlery drawer. Not only are the illustrations whimsical, but Spork and the others are expressive in their emotions. When Spork wonders about other creatures with “no matching kind,” children will love trying to identify such Arsenault imaginings as a teapot with a knife blade instead of a spout and a rolling pin attached to a corkscrew. What other combinations might children imagine?

Spork is neither a spoon nor a fork. He tries to be more spoonish, but the forks think he’s too round. He tries to be more forkish, but the spoons think he’s too pointy. Finally a messy thing arrives, and Spork finds his place at the table. This humorous “multi-cutlery” tale is a charming story for anyone who has ever struggled to find his or her place in the world.