THE PERFECT FIT

Yellow Triangle feels that she doesn’t fit in with her playmates, all blue circles.

Although the circles assure her that her points don’t hurt, Triangle “felt like she was getting in their way.” She tries playing with red squares. They begin to play together, but when they try to make a tower, Triangle causes a crash. The squares don’t bear a grudge, but Triangle worries. She says: “I need to find somewhere I fit perfectly.” She feels out of place with the green hexagons until she notices “a familiar shape in the sky.” She’s happy until she realizes that stars are not triangles. A friendly star tells her that triangles are “not that far away.” Triangle gets excited when she spots them, “exactly the same as her, in every single way.” They form a pyramid and dangle as pennants, but Triangle realizes that she knows many games from the other shapes. She leads the triangles to play with “everyone else,” bringing all the shapes together for “a terrific time.” Simple facial features personify each shape; Triangle’s freckles make her stand out. Subtle textural variations lend visual interest. The clear themes of playing together and overcoming differences are appropriate for early-childhood classes, library storytimes, and family reading. Adults must consider when to read aloud the often witty asides that appear in speech balloons near some shapes.

Shape learning, color recognition, and a message of friendship, neatly arranged.