When Auggie Learned to Play Chess

by Meredith Rusu, Stephen Costanza (Illustrator)

Overview

Chess lessons with his father helps bashful Auggie adjust to his new home and regain his confidence.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780593710821
Publisher:	Random House Children's Books
Publication date:	09/09/2025
Pages:	48
Product dimensions:	8.81(w) x 11.25(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Meredith Rusu is the author of more than one hundred children’s books for licenses such as LEGO, Disney/Pixar, Peppa Pig, and Star Wars. She is also the author of the DATA Set series under the name Ada Hopper. She lives in New Jersey with her husband and two young sons.

Stephen Costanza is the acclaimed author and illustrator of numerous picture books, including Mozart Finds a Melody, Vivaldi and The Invisible Orchestra, and King of Ragtime. King of Ragtime was the 2022 Golden Kite Award Winner for Picture Book Illustration, and was selected for the Society of Illustrators’ Original Art Exhibition. Stephen’s illustrations have appeared in magazines, newspapers, advertising, and textbooks, from The American Prospect and Cricket to brochures for the Boston Ballet, Four Seasons Hotel, and Boston Lyric Opera. Stephen lives in North Haven, Maine.

Editorial Reviews

"A well-played account of a newcomer learning to roll with the punches." —Kirkus Reviews

"The pleasing, simply told story comes to life in the playful, deeply colorful digital illustrations, which occasionally diagram chess moves....An intriguing, satisfying picture book." —Booklist

"This story encourages and inspires readers to embrace new experiences.­ A celebration of family traditions and the ­lessons learned from them." —School Library Journal

From the Publisher

2025-05-30
Sometimes a gambit is all it takes.

When 7-year-old Auggie moves from the seaside to the country with his father, he feels like he’s in an entirely new world. There are no beaches here—just (very smelly) cows and corn as far as the eye can see. As Auggie explores his new home, he stumbles across his father’s chess set, a treasured heirloom. Enchanted by the wooden pieces and their elegant designs, Auggie asks if he can learn to play. It’s something pleasant to look forward to as he endures a rough first day at school. As the father and son play, Auggie begins to see his classmates as chess pieces running through the halls. A lesson on taking risks, known in chess terms as a “gambit,” helps Auggie break the ice with fellow student Luke. Costanza’s digital illustrations enhance Rusu’s narrative, and the subtle shading around Auggie’s eyes underscores the frustrations he feels while finding his way at school and learning to play chess. Costanza concisely captures the moves of the game, so readers intrigued by the story can learn the basics of the game. Auggie and his father are of Romanian descent; a pronunciation guide for “Tatâ” (Daddy) and “Bunicu” (Grandpa) would have helped readers unfamiliar with the terms. This quibble aside, Rusu offers youngsters a solid road map for navigating new places and new games. Auggie’s classmates are diverse.

A well-played account of a newcomer learning to roll with the punches.(Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews