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Is three a crowd? Sami’s perfect life with Stella falls apart when a new girl moves in next door. Sami doesn’t need another friend… two is the perfect pair. Jasmine just wants to be included and play with her neighbors. But three is a tricky number when it comes to friendships. Most of the time, someone gets left out.
Follow Sami as she learns to adjust and make room for one more. Through the lessons illustrated in this book, children learn what they can do in this very common situation. Pink Tiara Cookies for Three carries key messages of conflict resolution, jealousy, and inclusion supported by the many advocates of positive parenting solutions.
The book’s free downloadable Reader’s Companion includes a classroom poster, discussion questions, and activities to practice being a good friend.
Published Reviews
In Torgan-Randall’s picture book, a duck-obsessed girl makes a friend at summer camp after she learns how to listen to others.
Margaret, depicted as a white-skinned, brown-haired girl (rather in the Charlie Brown mold), prefers to be called Ducky. She is obsessed with ducks, and, while attending camp, she works duck facts into every conversation and activity, often talking over her peers (and even the counselor). No one else is much interested, and one boy in particular—red-haired Marvin[4]—loses patience with Margaret’s garrulous duck fixation. “YOU ARE NOT A DUCK! YOU ARE MARGARET!” he tells her. Margaret is momentarily saddened, but she cheers up for the learn-to-swim activity. There, she lends her duck-shaped float-aid to Marvin. Her duck knowledge proves useful, and, more importantly, she learns about Marvin’s own obsession: rocks. Now that their interaction is less one-sided, Margaret and Marvin become friends. Torgan-Randall narrates Margaret’s tale in straightforward, non-rhyming prose, arranging pictures and text so that dialogue appears in natural blank spaces near the speaker. The present-tense constructions and faux-handwritten font lend a sense of immediacy. Torgan-Randall’s illustrations, which are hand-drawn and then digitally refined, evoke the open, ingenuous existence of young children. The campers are ethnically diverse, and all of the characters display distinct personalities (even Bill, the duck float-aid). A pre-story checklist of questions encourages readers to think about listening, communication, and friendship.
A fun, quirky little story about thriving individuality and social integration.