Mini Monsters: Can I Play?

Sparkle and Arthur have decided to put on a magic show. How exciting! Yet when their friend Scout asks if they can join in, Sparkle says no. When Scout tries to help out with the disappearing rabbit trick, Sparkle says Scout is doing it wrong – and finally loses her cool, telling Scout they can’t even sit in the audience. It’s tough when you’re little and you feel like someone is trying to take over playing with your friend, and Sparkle lets her emotions get the better of her.

Yet when Scout runs away upset, kindly Arthur goes to help, leaving Sparkle as the one left out. What should she do? By realising that they’ll have much more fun together, Sparkle invites both her friends to see her magic show, and does a very brave thing indeed: she says sorry for being mean.

Caryl Hart and Tony Neal’s bright and colourful story about being a good friend (and saying sorry when you’ve been mean) is perfectly pitched for older toddlers and pre-schoolers.