When Auggie Learned to Play Chess

In this heartfelt picture book, a shy kid’s dad teaches him how to play chess... and chess gives him the confidence to make a new friend.

When Auggie finds an old chessboard that once belonged to his grandfather, he decides he wants to learn how to play chess. And his dad, his Tatâ, is happy to teach him.

They’ve just moved to a new town, and Auggie is struggling to make friends at his new school. In the big, busy hallways, he feels like a tiny pawn. But after every hard day at school, he can’t wait to play chess with his dad. Slowly, slowly, he gets better at the game... until he can beat Tata!

Then, Auggie finds a chessboard in his classroom. When he sees that another boy looks interested in it, he knows just what to do: he can teach Luke how to play chess, too!

Here is a moving father-son story that shows how chess helps one boy feel at home in a new environment.

Meredith Rusu is the author of more than one hundred children’s books for licenses such as LEGO, Disney/Pixar, Peppa Pig, and Star Wars. She is also the author of the DATA Set series under the name Ada Hopper. She lives in New Jersey with her husband and two young sons.

Stephen Costanza is the acclaimed author and illustrator of numerous picture books, including Mozart Finds a Melody, Vivaldi and The Invisible Orchestra, and King of Ragtime. King of Ragtime was the 2022 Golden Kite Award Winner for Picture Book Illustration, and was selected for the Society of Illustrators’ Original Art Exhibition. Stephen’s illustrations have appeared in magazines, newspapers, advertising, and textbooks, from The American Prospect and Cricket to brochures for the Boston Ballet, Four Seasons Hotel, and Boston Lyric Opera. Stephen lives in North Haven, Maine.