“See!” Sophie told Steven. “Sometimes growing a friend just takes time”
“Sophie’s Squash Go to School” by Pat Zietlow Miller & Anne Wilsdorf
One of the scariest parts of a new school year is often the thought of making new friends. It is true that sometimes new friends are made almost instantly when two people seem to just magically “click”. However, usually making a good friend takes time. It can take a while to grow accustomed to a new group of people and to find things that you have in common with them. It can be frustrating and intimidating. This is a perfect book for helping your littles understand that it’s okay to stretch outside of their comfort zone a little to meet new people and it is perfectly fine if it takes some time to make a new friend.
In this story a little girl named Sophie is incredibly nervous to go to school. To help her feel more comfortable she takes her two best friends with her, who happen to be squash. In the beginning of the story she is not interested at all in socializing with the other kids and is even a bit rude. She thinks that all she needs for friends are her squash. However, squash cannot last forever and eventually she decides to give a little boy a chance who has been hovering around her at school trying to become her friend. In so doing, she discovers the joy that friendships with other children can bring and the lesson is learned that sometimes it does just take time for friendships to grow.
This is such a sweet story with such a relatable message for young children. The text is very well done and the illustrations are adorable. I love the mentoring of her parents and teacher in her journey to make a friend. Also, I love that this book can also be discussed from the little boys point of view. Sometimes children want to make a friend with someone who is reluctant. In these cases, it is nice to show children that they need patience, and again, sometimes it just takes time.
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