“Angus liked sparkly things,” like the sequins on his sister’s tutu. He also liked sparkly words: “Scintillating made his eyebrows dance,” author Heather Smith tells us, with a dose of lighthearted lyricism. Angus liked sparkly things so much, in fact, that he felt like he could hear them pop and crackle.
Most of all, however, he likes his grandma’s glass bead necklace. When she gives it to him and he wants to wear it to school, however, his mom, dad, and sister try to gently dissuade him. His classmates tease him about it. This is not obviously because of his gender (although this could easily be read between the lines); one shouts that it is “Too bright,” and another is simply dismissive, saying, “Sparkles, Angus? Sparkles?”
Angus is despondent, and yanks the necklace off, breaking it and sending the beads scattering. He stops hearing sparkles. The next day at school, however, a girl who had seen the necklace break brings the beads back in a bag. She tells Angus that she likes sparkles, too, and together, they make bracelets with them. Angus’ worries about what his classmates would say dissipate in the presence of a supportive friend, and the two walk proudly and sparkle-ly into the classroom.
A sweet story that could open up lots of conversations about gender, fitting in, supporting friends, and more.
