Playdates Rule!

PreS-Gr 1—This amusing book leaves most of the storytelling to the clever, over-the-top illustrations. A little (human) boy is excited about his first playdate. His best friend, Finley, (an elephant) arrives and the playdate has predictably disastrous results from the parents' point of view. The pals quickly discover that playdates have a lot of rules, such as "don't use your dad's bike" (the elephant has squashed it), and "don't help water your mom's plants" (Finley squirts a huge jet of water at Mom.) The story culminates when trampoline play gets Finley stuck in a hole he creates in the roof, requiring the aid of two firefighters. Finally, the playdate ends, leaving a wrecked house and exhausted and relieved parents in its wake. The text is economical and tongue-in-cheek, with the illustrations telling the lion's share of the story. The contrast between the boy's words and the visual depiction in the cartoon-style illustrations is what makes it both interesting and funny. McClurkan takes advantage of his space, combining full bleed spreads with single page illustrations and spot art and maximizing his use of white space. The elephant on the roof scene requires readers to turn the book from horizontal to vertical. The square-bespectacled narrator and sweet-faced Finley are both appealing. The large trim size and short text lend themselves well to reading aloud in a group.