Poor Maggie struggles to master her chopsticks it seems nearly everyone around the dinner table has something to say about the right. Maggie finally gets a grip on an important lesson.

Little Maggie can't manipulate her chopsticks as well as the rest of her family: she doesn't have her mother's quickness, her brother's strong grip, or her sister's gracefulness. But with the encouragement of her father ("You shouldn't worry what other people think. Everyone is different. Everyone is unique), she practices, and eventually holds her chopsticks lightly "like a butterfly."

While not every family uses chopsticks, all children can relate to the experience of mastering a new fine motor skill. ( )

a girl learns about using chopsticks. Ages: 3-5. Source: Pierce college fort steilacoom library early childhood shelves.

Cool to look into learning chopsticks as a cultural rite of passage (and not an "I'm not a yokel, I know how to use chopsticks" rite like for white people), though I couldn't help but wonder why the girl's whole family are so solipsistic and indifferent to her and then her dad comes along and is the nicest man. Aren't the larger family dynamics/cultural ideas playing themselves out here the more interesting story than chopsticks? ( )

Maggie is having a hard time learning to use her chop sticks. She feels bad about herself because everyone in her family can use them perfectly. She learns that it is okay to go at her own pace in this story,
Ages 5-8
Pierce County Public Library