Little Shaq Takes a Chance Read online

  To Uncle Mike, Uncle Jerome, and Aunt Cynthia

  for always inspiring me to be the best that I can be

  —Shaquille

  To my wife, Sarah, and my son, Theo

  —Theodore

  Also by Shaquille O’Neal and

  illustrated by Theodore Taylor III

  Little Shaq

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1

  PICK AND ROLL

  Chapter 2

  IN THE PAINT

  Chapter 3

  GAME TIME

  Chapter 1

  PICK AND ROLL

  Little Shaq and his cousin Barry pushed open the front door of Little Shaq’s house.

  “Hi, Mom!” Little Shaq called as they ran into the kitchen.

  “Hi, boys,” said Mom. “How was the game?”

  Little Shaq and Barry had spent the afternoon at the rec center, where they played basketball after school.

  “It was great,” Little Shaq said. “I scored my first three-point shot!”

  “Wow!” said Mom, pulling him in for a hug. “I’m so proud of you.”

  “It was awesome,” said Barry. “Even the other team cheered!”

  Little Shaq smiled and opened the refrigerator.

  “Now, don’t start filling up on snacks,” said Mom. “You need to save room for dinner.”

  “But I’m starving!” Little Shaq whined. “That three-pointer made me hungry.”

  “How about some grapes?” she said. “Then you boys need to wash up. We have company coming over. I made something special for dinner.”

  Little Shaq’s eyes lit up. He wondered what it could be.

  Maybe Mom made pizza with lots of cheese and toppings. Or maybe it was her famous fried chicken and creamy mashed potatoes! Little Shaq sniffed the air for a clue, but he couldn’t smell a thing.

  Suddenly, Little Shaq’s stomach made a loud gurgling noise. He laughed. “I can’t wait for dinner.”

  “Me neither,” said Barry. “Pass the grapes!”

  “Open up, Barry!” said Little Shaq. He tossed a grape into Barry’s mouth.

  “Three points!” cried Barry. “Now let me try!”

  “Okay, boys, move it along,” said Mom. “This is a kitchen, not the rec center.”

  Little Shaq carefully slid the bowl of grapes across the counter to Barry.

  “Hey, what’s that?” Barry asked. He pointed to an orange piece of paper that had been under the bowl.

  Little Shaq picked up the flier.

  “It’s for your art show on Friday,” said Mom.

  “Oh, do we have to go to that?” asked Little Shaq.

  “Of course!” said Mom. “Have you started your projects yet?”

  Little Shaq and Barry shook their heads no.

  “We’re starting tomorrow,” said Barry. “I thought I’d try painting.”

  “That’s great, Barry!” said Mom. “What about you, Little Shaq?”

  “I don’t know,” he said. “I’m no good at art.”

  “You’ve never given art a real chance. You can do anything,” said Mom.

  Just then the doorbell rang. “We’ll talk more about this later,” she said. “Go wash up.”

  Little Shaq and Barry washed their hands and put on clean T-shirts.

  When they came downstairs, Malia, Little Shaq’s older sister, was setting the final plate on the dining room table. Their younger brother, Tater, followed, adding a napkin to each spot.

  Nana Ruth and her friend Mr. Whitten were already sitting.

  Mr. Whitten had brought a beautiful bouquet of a dozen pink roses from his garden.

  Barry and Little Shaq said hello to Nana Ruth and Mr. Whitten. Then Little Shaq took a seat next to Tater, just as Mom and Dad entered the room.

  Mom and Dad were each carrying a big tray filled with colorful rolls of rice. Little Shaq was confused. He had no idea what was for dinner.

  “Oh my. That looks beautiful,” said Nana Ruth.

  “What is it?” asked Little Shaq.

  “It’s sushi,” said Mom. “It’s Japanese. I learned how to make it last week.”

  Little Shaq didn’t know what to think. It didn’t look like any food he had ever seen before.

  “It’s raw fish and rice,” added Malia.

  “What? You mean it’s not cooked?” Little Shaq crinkled his nose. “No thank you!”

  “Oh, Shaquille,” said Mom. “Don’t be so stubborn. Try to keep an open mind.”

  “Your mom worked real hard on this dinner, buddy,” Dad said with a nod. “Everyone, please dig in.”

  Little Shaq watched as the rest of his family piled their plates high with sushi.

  Instead of forks, they used two wooden sticks to pick up the rolls. “They’re called chopsticks,” said Barry. “They’re fun.”

  “You eat sushi?” asked Little Shaq.

  Barry nodded, swallowing a mouthful. “My favorites are the spicy ones.”

  “Well, I’m not eating it,” Little Shaq said, slumping in his chair. His tummy gurgled again.

  This was not the special dinner Little Shaq had hoped for. At least the night can’t get any worse, he thought. But Little Shaq had thought too soon.

  “Mom!” Tater yelled, pushing away a plate of sushi. “If Little Shaq isn’t eating it, then I’m not either.”

  Little Shaq could feel his cheeks get hot. “Tater, stop copying me!” he shouted. “Dad!”

  “Boys, this is what’s for dinner,” said Dad. “You know the rule.”

  “If I don’t like what’s for dinner, I can make something myself,” Little Shaq recited.

  “That’s right,” said Mom. “And you can make Tater’s dinner too. You know where the peanut butter and jelly are.”

  Little Shaq slid out of his seat and walked into the kitchen. Tater followed right behind him. Little Shaq took out a loaf of bread, a jar of crunchy peanut butter, and a jar of grape jelly.

  Little Shaq spread peanut butter on one slice of bread and then jelly on another. He squished the two slices together to make a sandwich.

  By the time he was done, he had made two piles of sandwiches—one for him and one for Tater.

  “Let’s go, Tater,” Little Shaq said, handing him a plate of sandwiches. They headed back into the dining room and took their seats.

  Little Shaq watched Tater take a big bite of his sandwich. Then he glanced at his own plate. Little Shaq sighed. He didn’t want peanut butter and jelly.

  Around the table, everyone seemed to love Mom’s dinner. Little Shaq thought he might have been too stubborn after all. The spicy sushi actually sounded pretty good.

  But when Little Shaq looked over at the sushi trays, he felt his tummy sink. They were empty.

  Chapter 2

  IN THE PAINT

  At school the next day after recess, Little Shaq’s teacher Ms. Terpenny set up two tables of art supplies.

  There were watercolor paints, crayons, colored pencils, and markers. She had also laid out paintbrushes, construction paper, and big slabs of clay.

  Little Shaq took one look at the art supplies and went straight to his seat.

  “Let’s get started, class,” said Ms. Terpenny. “The art projects you make this week will be displayed at the rec center as part of the school’s spring art show.”

  The whole room cheered, except for Little Shaq.

  “The theme for this year’s show is What We Love,” Ms. Terpenny continued. “So your project should represent something that you care about.”

  Barry raised his hand. “Can it be about our family?” he asked.

  “Absolutely,” said Ms. Terpenny.

  “What about our pets?” Little Shaq’s friend Rosa Lindy ask
ed.

  Little Shaq listened as his classmates shouted out more questions.

  “Okay, settle down,” Ms. Terpenny said. “Remember to wait until you’re called upon.”

  Walter Skipple raised his hand.

  “Yes, Walter?” she said.

  “Does our favorite color count?” he asked.

  “Sure!” she said. “Be creative. Now, let’s make some art.”

  Barry quickly grabbed a set of watercolor paints and a paintbrush.

  Little Shaq shook his head. Painting seemed hard.

  Next to him, Rosa took a pack of markers and a handful of colored pencils.

  Little Shaq shook his head again. He didn’t know what to choose.

  Then he spied the crayons.

  Sometimes Tater made Little Shaq color with him. Little Shaq knew how to use crayons.

  He breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad.

  Back at the table, Little Shaq took out an orange crayon and drew a big circle. Then he colored it in.

  Rosa leaned over. “I didn’t know you loved oranges.”

  “I don’t,” said Little Shaq. “It’s a basketball.”

  “Oh,” said Rosa. “Now I see it.”

  “Look at mine,” said Aubrey Skipple. Walter’s twin sister had sketched a picture of their dog, Monty.

  “No way!” said Rosa. “I’m doing a portrait of my cat, Mittens.”

  “This is going to be so great for my newspaper article,” said Aubrey.

  “Your what?” asked Little Shaq.

  “I’m covering the art show for the Parkview Gazette,” she said. “My mom is letting me borrow her camera and everything.”

  Little Shaq glanced down at his drawing. Rosa was right. It did look like an orange. There was no way his art was good enough for the school newspaper.

  Little Shaq crumpled up his drawing and marched back to the supply tables.

  “What are you looking for?” Ms. Terpenny asked.

  “I don’t know,” said Little Shaq. “My picture didn’t turn out so great.”

  “Why don’t you give the watercolors a shot?” she suggested.

  “No thanks,” he said. “I don’t like painting.”

  Ms. Terpenny raised her eyebrows. “Have you ever tried it?”

  Little Shaq thought for a moment. “No,” he admitted.

  Ms. Terpenny handed him a set of paints. “If you don’t like it, you can always try something else. Okay?” she said.

  Little Shaq nodded.

  “Great!” she said. “Let’s keep an open mind today.”

  “That’s what my mom always says,” he replied.

  “She’s a smart lady,” said Ms. Terpenny.

  Little Shaq filled a plastic cup with water and started mixing the colors.

  “Want any help?” asked Rosa.

  “Sure,” he said. “I don’t really know what to do.”

  “Here, let’s practice together,” Rosa replied.

  Rosa dipped a paintbrush into the purple paint and swirled the brush on the paper. She painted three squiggly lines. “Now, you try,” she said.

  Little Shaq gulped and picked up the paintbrush. He tried to do what Rosa had just showed him. “First dip the paintbrush, then squiggle,” he said quietly.

  Little Shaq painted three more lines on the paper.

  “There, you got the hang of it,” said Rosa.

  Little Shaq smiled and went to work.

  Using the black paint, he drew a large rectangle. Then he added a smaller rectangle inside.

  “It’s a backboard!” Rosa said.

  “Yep! I’m going to call this painting Slam Dunk. It’s not done yet though,” said Little Shaq. “I need to add a rim.”

  With the orange watercolor paint, Little Shaq made a circle beneath the small rectangle. “Hmmm,” he mumbled, “that doesn’t look like a rim. It’s too flat.” Little Shaq sighed and put down his paintbrush.

  He glanced over at his friends. Rosa was using markers to make lots of little dots on the page. And Walter had painted two large squares in different shades of red and orange.

  Little Shaq never knew his friends were such good artists. He didn’t think anybody would want to look at his painting. He put his elbows on the table and buried his head in his hands. The art show was only a few days away. What was Little Shaq going to do?

  “Uh, Little Shaq?” said Rosa. “Your painting!”

  “Huh?” He looked up.

  He had put his elbows right on top of the wet paint.

  Little Shaq closed his eyes tight. His painting was ruined.

  “We can fix this,” said Rosa.

  “Forget it,” Little Shaq said, standing up. “I’m not making anything!”

  After school Little Shaq went to the rec center. He couldn’t wait to play basketball.

  At the sound of Coach Mackins’s whistle, Little Shaq ran down the court. “I’m open!” he yelled.

  Walter passed him the ball. “Go for three, Little Shaq!”

  Little Shaq dribbled the basketball up and down. As he looked at the rim, he thought about his painting. Little Shaq couldn’t get art class off his mind.

  “Pass it!” shouted Barry.

  Little Shaq threw the ball to Barry, who scored an easy layup.

  At the next time-out, Little Shaq took a seat on the bench.

  Rosa climbed down from the bleachers.

  “What’s wrong, Little Shaq?” she asked.

  “I’m worried about my project for the art show,” he told her.

  “So you’re not a painter,” she said. “Big deal.”

  “Easy for you to say,” he replied. “Your project is really good.”

  “Yours will be too,” said Rosa. “Try the clay tomorrow. I bet you’re a natural sculptor.”

  “You really think so?” he asked.

  Rosa nodded as Coach Mackins blew the whistle.

  The next day, Ms. Terpenny passed out the class’s art projects. Little Shaq looked down at his smeared painting and then up at the slab of clay. He was ready to give it a try.

  Little Shaq took the clay and rolled it back and forth in his hands, making a ball. The clay felt cool and smooth against his fingers.

  Suddenly, he had an idea. He didn’t just love basketball, he loved playing it. Little Shaq knew exactly what he was going to make.

  For the rest of the week, Little Shaq worked on his sculpture every chance he got. At the end of each day, he covered it in cloth so no one could see it.

  On Thursday afternoon, Ms. Terpenny asked everyone to turn in their final projects. Little Shaq took a deep breath and handed his in.

  “So, was I right about the clay?” asked Rosa.

  Little Shaq smiled. “We’ll see,” he answered.

  Chapter 3

  GAME TIME

  On Friday night, Little Shaq stood in front of the mirror and let Dad straighten his tie.

  Mom was making the whole family get dressed up for the art show. Little Shaq didn’t mind though. He looked good in a tie.

  “All right, everybody,” said Mom. “Let’s go!”

  Little Shaq felt his stomach tense. It was game time. Earlier that day he had been excited about the art show, but now he felt nervous.

  “What if no one likes my project?” Little Shaq asked.

  “I’ll like it,” said Tater.

  “Me too!” said Malia.

  Little Shaq smiled.

  “We’re all going to love it,” said Mom, “because we love you.”

  On the way out the door, Mom grabbed a tray wrapped in plastic.

  “What’s that?” asked Malia.

  “Ms. Terpenny heard about my sushi and asked if I’d make some for tonight,” she said.

  “Cool,” said Little Shaq.

  Mom raised a surprised eyebrow and closed the door behind them.

  At the rec center, a crowd had started to gather. Little Shaq’s heart began to beat fast.

  The first art project Little Shaq’s
family saw was Rosa’s cat portrait.

  “Wow,” said Little Shaq. “I can’t believe it’s made out of tiny little dots. It’s so neat.”

  “Thanks!” said Rosa.

  Next they came to Walter’s and Aubrey’s projects. Even though they were twins, their art looked totally different.

  “Very impressive,” said Mom. Little Shaq’s heart beat faster. So far, everyone’s projects were really good.

  Then they arrived at Barry’s. Nana Ruth and Mr. Whitten were there too. Little Shaq moved to the front of the crowd to get a closer look.

  Barry had painted a family portrait. “Hey,” said Little Shaq, “there I am! It looks just like me!”

  “We’ll have to start calling you Picasso,” Dad said to Barry. “This is excellent!”

  Barry smiled with pride.

  Little Shaq realized that his project was up next. His heart began to beat even faster!

  There was already a group of people in front of it. Little Shaq tried to hear what they were saying.

  “How modern!” a man with a mustache said.

  “So lifelike,” said a woman in a polka-dot dress.

  “It really captures the spirit of the game!” said a man wearing a hat.

  Little Shaq thought those all sounded like good things.

  Little Shaq’s family walked over to his sculpture. It was called Basketball with Barry.

  Mom gasped. “It’s wonderful,” she said.