Self-proclaimed playdate queen, Ginger Green is adorable in her enthusiasm and her foxy outfits but she has a lot to learn. In the Ginger Green series, we journey with Ginger through her pre-playdate excitement and nervousness, face the unexpected pitfalls that come with welcoming strangers into her home and arrive relieved each time another tumultuous playdate ends as a success.
Not only does Kim Kane nail the voice of an early school years playdate hostess, she keeps the pages turning with gentle suspense and minor disasters in The New Friend. How do you get rid of well-meaning parents when they hover? How do you work out what a shy friend would like to do? What will it take to break the ice and let the fun begin?
The Crazy Friend, Book Two in the series includes the light hearted joy of Book One and adds the drama of physical danger and utter turmoil. I bet Ginger Green never imagined such an out of control situation. What do you do when your invited friend doesn’t listen to a word you say? Worse still, what do you do when they get up to dangerous antics? Ginger Green wonders how she could ever have invited such a crazy friend on a playdate. Will she be able to remain friends with this energy ball of trouble? Ginger Green is at her wits end before she finds a solution.
I love the social dilemmas portrayed for the very young in this series. Children from four upwards will devour these tales, which are likely to trigger many discussions about what makes a friend, what is acceptable behaviour on play dates and so much more. I can’t wait to see what happens in the next two books in the series.
Title: Ginger Green Playdate Queen series
Book #1: The New Friend (9781760127701)
Book #2: The Crazy Friend (9781760127718)
Author: Kim Kane
Illustrator: Jon Davis
Publisher: Hardie Grant Egmont, $9.99 RRP
Publication Date: June 2016
Format: Paperback
For ages: 5+
Type: Junior Fiction
