Princess Penelope: Handprints, Snowflakes and Play-dates by Christine Bronstein

Title: Princess Penelope: Handprints, Snowflakes, and Play-dates
Author/Illustrator: Christine Bronstein/Karen L. Young
Genre: Fiction
Age: 4-8

This book talks about a young girl who adjust how her and her brothers normally behave for a play-date with her friend from school who has Autism Spectrum Disorder.  Her teacher was telling her class, that no two minds are alike and that everyone is different n their own unique way. She wanted to students to play with someone different, and Penelope played with Eric and he was invited over for a play-date. The mom had her and her brothers practice using their inside voices, because loud noises would affect Eric and make him upset. She also had them work on being flexible, in case Eric didn't want to do something, and that they wouldn't get upset. At one point Penelope, her brothers and Eric were playing on the trampoline, when he just left because the noises were too loud. Penelope remembered what her mother and father told her and went to look for him, at first they couldn't find him, but they found him sitting on the couch wrapped up in a blanket. So, the mother let them play video games, and Eric really enjoyed them. When it was time for Eric to leave the group of kids didn't want him to leave and started using their BOOM voices, which caused Eric to run to his mother's car. His mother was really excited they had a great first play-date. The book ended with Eric and his mom leaving, but in the back it had tips to welcome special needs families for a play-date, and tips for special needs families. There was even like a friendship accomplishment checklist, and once the student finished the checklist they got a certificate.

I like this book for students because it helps them understand a student might be different from them, but they can still be friends. She changed how she normally was at home to better comfort her new friend because she didn't want to make him upset. I think it's important for students to meet new people and not always stick with their normal group of friends. I think this book is a great example of how you can be a friend to someone different than you. I think this book is great for Preschool - 2nd grade. I think by working with students at a young age about accepting others will help them later in life.
- Peace. Love. Giraffes.

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