I REALLY WANT TO WIN

It’s not about whether you win or lose; it’s whether you find your passion.

On Sports Day, the same girl who earlier starred in I Really Want the Cake (2020) is convinced of victory in every event. In the first race, the narrator is way ahead with “so much speed, / my victory is guaranteed…” until a stone sends her sprawling while another girl crosses the finish line. And although the narrator tugs until her skin turns green, the same opponent also wins the tug of war. Moving on from sports, this hypercompetitive kid loses the school spelling bee thanks to ventriloquist. Both frustration and desire to win grow as the protagonist proceeds to lose other contests to the same girl who won on Sports Day. Just when the protagonist despairs, she witnesses her nemesis lose and graciously congratulate the winner. The good loser’s philosophy? “You cannot always be ahead. / Enjoy the things you love, instead!” Together, the two girls explore the protagonist’s love for baking—but, in a rather mixed message, the protagonist enters her magnificently decorated cake in a bake-off and wins. Charming illustrations in a bold color palette capture the protagonist’s emotional roller coaster and the energy of the rhyming text. The protagonist has pale skin and straight, black hair while her nemesis has brown skin and a pouf of red hair.

A great conversation starter about the frustrations of competition and the search for a personal passion.