Pepper and Me

October 23, 2023
Employing warm powers of observation and expressive mixed-media spreads in an elegant palette of fuchsia, olive, and chestnut brown, Alemagna (You Can’t Kill Snow White) chronicles the rich relationship that develops between a child and the scab that forms on their leg after a tumble on some cobblestones. The fall has already happened at story’s start (“It burned a lot, lot, lot!”), and though the child’s father says that the scab will be beautiful, instead, “it looked like a big hamburger.” The child’s mother says that the scab will go away in a few days, but it lingers. It’s the ugliest scab in the world, the child worries, much worse than those that other people have. The scab even gets a name (Pepper, after “the puppy I never managed to get”), and a spirited conversation ensues: “You couldn’t have called me Crystal or Jazzy? A super nice cute name?” Then, one morning, Pepper falls away, “tucked into the folds of my sheets.” It’s easy for readers to see their own concerns reflected in the narrator’s—and to breathe a sigh of relief when the ordeal is over—in this slice-of-life portrait of life’s small comings and goings. Ages 4–8.

December 15, 2023
A child has a complex relationship with a large scab that forms after a bad fall. In a straightforward, childlike voice accompanied by charmingly na�ve mixed-media illustrations, a pale-skinned narrator with long red hair recounts the story of a scraped knee and its aftermath. A few days after a fall and "you-know-what" dripping down the child's leg, a humungous scab forms. Though adults reassure the child that it will go away soon, "we kept staring at each other, the scab and me...I was afraid it would stay forever." The "hideous" scab is a source of constant distraction, the "worst one in the whole world," but it follows the little one everywhere, so the child decides to name it Pepper. Pepper becomes a companion through the summer, and the scab slowly changes, pulling at the surrounding skin and shrinking. "Sometimes it seemed like she was smiling at me," the child notes, and soon the little one begins to share stories, thoughts, and dreams with Pepper. Then one morning, Pepper is gone. She is found among the bedsheets, small and sad. Alemagna deftly captures feelings of loss over something inconsequential to adults but of outsized importance to a child. Off-kilter compositions create an uneasiness that offsets the sweet childlike scenes, allowing for complicated emotional responses. A uniquely moving story about an unlikely subject. (Picture book. 4-8)

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March 1, 2024
A young protagonist with a deep internal life shares a personal memory in this intimate and indelible picture book. The unnamed redhead recounts tripping face-down on the cobblestone ground. As a scab develops on their injured knee, the child experiences fear, disgust, wonder, and impatience. They name the scab Pepper, and one day Pepper -- drawn with a stylized face -- speaks to the child. The child engages with the scab, telling stories and sharing thoughts during lonely days in the country spent with grandparents (and without a dog). Over time, Pepper shrinks and gets softer, and the protagonist gets used to its presence. ("She was just doing what scabs do.") Then one day, the scab falls off. The child finds Pepper in the bedsheets and says goodbye by gently dropping it outside among the poppies. The once-injured knee, now smooth, inspires reflection on the child's past: about how it felt having the scab, about visiting with grandparents, and what life was like before their cuddly pet dog joined the family. Illustrations rendered with gouache, oil, collage, and wax pencils fill colorful spreads with emotive angles and textures. Words and images are portrayed with rhythm and sensory details, which bring depth to character and illuminate the comforting settings. This exploration of pain, healing, change, wonder, and time can also serve as an educational mentor text for lessons about personal narratives. Elisa Gall

(Copyright 2024 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

October 18, 2024

Gr 1-4-Alemagna's palette, in bursts of colors that are as effortless as crayon scrawls and chalk-filled sidewalks, reflects the sunny tone of the narrator, who takes a terrible spill in the book's opening pages. Her leg wound hurts "a lot, a lot, a lot" but it launches her obsession with the creepy scab that forms, which she names Pepper, a tic of her unrequited wish for a dog. The scab has the look and texture of hamburger, just one of the many gross-outs in the narration, and for a long time it seems as if Pepper will never heal. When the scab starts to talk, a friendship of sorts is born; Pepper keeps her company and becomes entwined into the narrator's memories. After a duly shrunk Pepper falls off into the sheets, shiny new skin reminds the narrator of her friend, and, happily, she gets a dog. The earnest text is so intent on mimicking child's speech and colloquialisms, even in Pepper's dialogue, that it becomes condescending, a tone only older readers will notice. Younger ones may be intrigued by the ick factors and find the life span of a scab pretty compelling material. VERDICT Whether children like this book is entirely dependent on their patience or interest in gross. It's an additional purchase for libraries.-Ginnie Abbott

Copyright 2024 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2024
A young protagonist with a deep internal life shares a personal memory in this intimate and indelible picture book. The unnamed redhead recounts tripping face-down on the cobblestone ground. As a scab develops on their injured knee, the child experiences fear, disgust, wonder, and impatience. They name the scab Pepper, and one day Pepper -- drawn with a stylized face -- speaks to the child. The child engages with the scab, telling stories and sharing thoughts during lonely days in the country spent with grandparents (and without a dog). Over time, Pepper shrinks and gets softer, and the protagonist gets used to its presence. ("She was just doing what scabs do.") Then one day, the scab falls off. The child finds Pepper in the bedsheets and says goodbye by gently dropping it outside among the poppies. The once-injured knee, now smooth, inspires reflection on the child's past: about how it felt having the scab, about visiting with grandparents, and what life was like before their cuddly pet dog joined the family. Illustrations rendered with gouache, oil, collage, and wax pencils fill colorful spreads with emotive angles and textures. Words and images are portrayed with rhythm and sensory details, which bring depth to character and illuminate the comforting settings. This exploration of pain, healing, change, wonder, and time can also serve as an educational mentor text for lessons about personal narratives.

(Copyright 2024 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)