Summary:
Mac and Cheese are the class guinea pigs, and Oliver is their biggest fan. So he watches them and takes notes to learn how he can be a good friend. But while snuggling in close might be fine for guinea pigs, Oliver’s classmates don’t like him getting in their personal space bubbles. With the help of his teacher and classmates, Oliver learns that being a friend means respecting personal space.
Review:
Such a wonderful book about the importance of personal space (especially nowadays) and Jolene Gutiérrez gives great practical examples to best explain this concept to kids. She even goes as far to address when it is okay to break into someone’s personal space.
I also LOVED the inclusion of Spanish words into the text. They were placed really well, didn’t affect the flow as you are reading, and were easy to interpret based on the surrounding context clues. My family just started learning Spanish so it was really exciting for us to find some words we knew, and try them out in a real story. Mucho bueno!
And as you read the book, be sure to keep an eye out for some of Heather Bell’s adorable additions in the illustrations. My daughter’s favorite was a sneaky gerbil swiping a snack. Heck, it was my favorite too.
Be sure to pick this book up when it releases on August 11, 2020!
Abbi Lee Books 