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Reviewed by Christopher Solaas for Readers' Favorite
In Chocovela Plays Chess: A Story About Winning and Losing by Zalina Jani and Sameer Jani, a young crocodile named Chocovela finds out there will be a chess tournament at school. He is very good at chess and wants to compete in the hope he might win. When he gets there, he has fun competing with his friends and is always respectful, whether he wins or loses. But then Dragon McMaster shows up. McMaster is very good at winning, but very bad at losing. Will he win the tournament? And if he doesn’t, what will the big scary dragon do? After all, McMaster is a fire-breathing dragon! What will he do to Chocovela if the crocodile wins the tournament?
Chocovela Plays Chess by Zalina and Sameer Jani is a delightful picture book that teaches early readers about winning, losing, and sportsmanship. The story is written by Sameer Jani, who is comparable in age to the children who will enjoy this book. This gives the book a relatable perspective for those just learning to read, and especially for those who could use help in knowing how to respond when they win or lose. The artwork is done by his mother Zalina Jani, and is brightly colored and consistent throughout the book. The facial expressions on the chess pieces are adorable. At the end of the book is a page to assist early readers in understanding big words and concepts like sportsmanship and competition. I was delighted with Chocovela’s friendly and outgoing interactions with his friends and the dragon as well. Brightly colored, relatable, enjoyable, and endearing, this book is perfect for early readers who need an enjoyable story about sportsmanship.
