BEST FRIENDS THINK ALIKE

by Lynn Reiser ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 1, 1997

In this play about playing, Reiser (Two Mice in Three Fables, 1995, etc.) provides a lesson about conflict resolution as well as a playable scenario about best friends Ruby and Beryl, who independently come up with the perfect game to play when their fathers take them to the park. Trouble is, it's the same game--horse and rider--and each wants to play the wild, tricky, beribboned horse. For a time, it's a stand-off, and Reiser's Sharpieand-Crayola-marker art cleanly shows each girl's transformation into the headstrong horse, right down to Beryl's eyeglasses. Each girl tries to convince the other that a horse needs a rider, and when that doesn't do the trick, each determines to be both horse and rider. But this isn't right either; each girl recognizes the real problem, chorusing, ""But I wanted to play with YOU!"" After a cooling-off period, the girls separately devise the same solution: a new game in which two centaurs play together. The symmetry of the piece is somewhat disconcerting--by giving each girl and idea equal weight and value, the exercise is sterile and clipped instead of the emotional morass typical of most arguments. The bright, chipper look, however, will win readers; it's not hard to imagine children acting this out.

Pub Date: May 1, 1997

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Greenwillow

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 1997

Categories: CHILDREN'S