Sorry, Snail

by Tracy Subisak

Overview

This zany, charming story shows that sometimes we get mad and helps teach the importance of a real apology!

"Look at that slimy body. 
That silly shell.
Those tentacle eyes!
I just can’t look at you anymore, snail."
 
Ari is feeling angry. When she takes that anger out on an innocent snail, the snail demands an apology! Which Ari gives, half-heartedly. And that's that. Until Ms. Snail and her friends appear in every corner of Ari’s life, determined to elicit the most genuine apology from an increasingly regretful girl.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780316537728
Publisher:	Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication date:	05/16/2023
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	8.30(w) x 10.30(h) x 0.60(d)
Age Range:	3 - 6 Years

About the Author

Tracy Subisak is a little afraid of snails, with their slimy snail bodies, but has worked very hard to be friends with them. (Mostly unsuccessfully.) Tracy is the Taiwanese and Polish American author-illustrator of Jenny Mei Is Sad. She has also illustrated many books, including: This Book Is Not For You!, by Shannon Hale, and Amah Faraway by Margaret Chiu Greanais. Tracy lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, her dog Lala, and many, many plants. You can visit her online at tracysubisak.com and on Instagram at @tracysubisak.

Editorial Reviews

03/20/2023

This picture book about making things right kicks off when young Ari, who reads as East Asian, storms outside upset and vents her wrath on an unsuspecting snail. “Look at that slimy body. That silly shell,” she whispers. “Those tentacle eyes! I JUST CAN’T LOOK AT YOU ANYMORE, SNAIL.” Leaf-munching snails might seem like oblivious targets, but, in a droll, faux-horror spread, this gastropod—Ms. Snail—arrives at Ari’s bedside that night, her tentacle eyes looming over the child’s face: “I request an apology.” Ari’s lacks conviction, and after staring into Ari’s soul, Ms. Snail slimes away with a parting shot: “Apology not accepted.” When the dispute escalates the next morning and an escargatoire rolls in to defend their friend in calling for “Snaily Justice,” Ari feels that she’s the victim. But a moment of genuine remorse over her initial behavior leads to Subisak (This Book Is Not for You!) showing what authentic reconciliation looks like. Shots of electric orange and deep purple, bold ink lines, and big speech balloons help deliver the message that angry words cause real and lasting harm—even when the insulter hasn’t intended it—and that half-hearted apologies and defensiveness compound the problem. Ages 3–6. Agent: Lori Kilkelly, LK Literary. (May)

Publishers Weekly

06/02/2023

Gr 1–4—The cover of this book features a cute girl holding an equally cute blue-shelled snail. The title page is illustrated with a crumpled piece of paper showing a charming illustration of the snail as if it were done by the girl. However, the pages that follow these adorable pictures are an unexpectedly phantasmagoric descent into surreal gastropod horror. It begins when Ari, the main character, insults a snail named Ms. Snail while she is in a bad mood. That night, Ms. Snail creeps into Ari's bedroom. Its eyestalks become as long as giant squid tentacles. And it talks, demanding an apology. A frightened Ari apologies. In an image fit for a Junji Ito graphic novel, Ms. Snail's eyestalks enter Ari's eye sockets and go into her body, as the snail "telescope[s] into Ari's soul." Determining Ari's apology is not sincere, Ms. Snail recruits hundreds of her snail friends to harass Ari until she apologizes again. This apology is deemed sincere, despite being the result of a coordinated harassment campaign. Ms. Snail also apologizes, and they become friends and live happily ever after. Strong artwork brings this bizarre story to life. Subisak's color palette is varied, and she is gifted at displaying subtle emotions, both human and snail. The story includes the fun vocabulary word "escargatoire," meaning a large quantity of snails. VERDICT While the message is earnest, the method is extreme in today's climate of online bullying and harassment; the sensibility has a very specific appeal and should be doled out with caution.—Chance Lee Joyner

School Library Journal

2023-04-24
Big emotions can have big consequences.

Ari, an Asian-presenting child with olive skin and dark hair, is mad. She’s not allowed to yell, so she tries dancing, but it doesn’t help. Irritated by loud munching sounds nearby, she stomps over to a bush, where she finds a target for her anger: a tiny mollusk, Ms. Snail. Ari whispers insults (“That silly shell.” “Those tentacle eyes!”) at the snail and jeers. Later that night, Ari is awakened by Ms. Snail, now portrayed much larger, who demands an apology. Startled, the girl tries to comply, but Ms. Snail doesn’t believe her. At school the next day, Ari discovers Ms. Snail has slimed the monkey bars, preventing Ari from swinging. And Ms. Snail’s friends pressure Ari for a real apology. Realizing that she has hurt Ms. Snail, Ari eventually finds a solution that satisfies the snails and restores peace. Although Ari learns that it’s not OK to take out her anger on an innocent bystander, she doesn’t find an appropriate alternative for handling big emotions, which feels like a missed opportunity. Still, exaggerated perspectives and proportions, as well as enlarged type, effectively invoke both humor and hyperbole. Subisak’s vivid palette of deep blues, greens, and oranges draws readers into both Ari’s and Ms. Snail’s dynamic emotional journeys. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A reminder that everyone—no matter how small—deserves kindness. (Picture book. 3-6)

Kirkus Reviews