Ready or Not, Here Comes Scout!

PreS-K—Scout's initial visit to the dog park is not going well. She may be all heart and enthusiasm, but her social awareness is not on a par with that of the other dogs. She splashes in the wading pool, takes a rope that does not belong to her, and comes on too strong with a tiny, timid dog. At the end of the day, it's a good thing that Scout still has her stuffed animal, Baby, for comfort as she hasn't made any friends. On a second visit, Scout demonstrates improved social skills, is quickly integrated into the dog-park scene, and enjoys a blissful period of play. Then an aggressive canine named Taco arrives. Scout avoids this bully by staying home at first and later by keeping her distance. Very real playtime conflicts are brought to life in this peppy, brightly illustrated offering. While the story is perfect for preschoolers, the ending is actually quite subtle and deserving of discussion. Even though mean Taco is the one to recover Scout's missing Baby, he runs away. "All my friends are calling to me….I wish Taco would play too. Maybe one day he will want to. Me, I'm ready to play now!" remarks Scout, whose joyful demeanor speaks volumes about the benefits of learning to make and keep friends.—Gloria Koster, West School, New Canaan, CT