My Friend Maggie

Paula and Maggie have been friends forever. Paula thinks Maggie is the best—until mean girl Veronica says otherwise. Suddenly, Paula starts to notice that Maggie is big and clumsy, and her clothes are sort of snuggish. Rather than sticking up for Maggie, Paula ignores her old friend and plays with Veronica instead. Luckily, when Veronica turns on Paula, Maggie’s true colors shine through.  

Paula, a groundhog, enjoys spending time with Maggie, an elephant. The two are completely different, but they still have fun together. Maggie helps Paula “reach the reddest apples,” and “lifts me up when I can’t see.” But that all changes when Veronica starts whispering in Paula’s ear. Suddenly, Paula is embarrassed to be seen with Maggie because she’s “too big,” “clumsy,” and her clothes are “a little snuggish.” Soon, Paula spends all her time with Veronica and purposely ignores Maggie.   

When Veronica starts teasing Paula, saying her “teeth stick out too far,” Maggie steps in and defends Paula. Even though Paula’s behavior had hurt Maggie, she forgives her friend, proving that “she’s the best.” The heart-warming story will resonate with young readers who have felt left out. Just like Paula, readers will learn the value of friendship as well as the dangers of trying to fit in.   

My Friend Maggie uses brightly colored illustrations to bring the story to life. The illustrations magnify the difference between Paula and Maggie, showing that you can be friends with people who are different from you. The other characters include a polar bear, a pig, a panda, and more adorable animals. The animal characters add interest and humor to the story. For example, readers might giggle when the animals are having a pool party because the pig is wearing a snorkel, and the rabbit has floaties on its arms. On another page, Maggie “hides” behind a small tree, and is clearly visible.   

Each page features large illustrations, and most pages contain only a single sentence, making My Friend Maggie the perfect book to read to a child when time is short. However, the book also gives adults an opportunity to discuss bullying, fitting in, and friendship with young readers. Preschool and kindergarten students learning how to navigate friendships will also benefit from reading the following books: Clovis Keeps His Cool by Katelyn Aronson, Shawn Loves Sharks by Curtis Manley, and Angus All Aglow by Heather Smith.  

Sexual Content  

• None 

Violence  

• None 

Drugs and Alcohol  

• None

Language  

• None 

Supernatural 

• None 

Spiritual Content  

• None