SOPHIE SLEEPS OVER
by Marisabina Russo ; illustrated by Marisabina Russo
A little bunny attends a sleepover birthday party at her best friend’s house and discovers she may not be Olive’s only “best friend.”
“[B]est bunny friends” Sophie and Olive enjoy snacking on carrots, cabbage and kale. They like wearing bracelets, bows and tiaras. They play jump-rope, hopscotch, tag and pingpong. So when Olive invites Sophie to her birthday sleepover, Sophie’s “happy from the tops of her ears to the tips of her toes” but surprised when another bunny named Penelope answers Olive’s door and announces she’s Olive’s best friend. Since Sophie thought she was Olive’s best friend, she’s confused and feels slighted. Eventually, Sophie and Penelope confront Olive about which is her best friend, and Olive tells them you can have more than one best friend. Skeptical, Penelope and Sophie can’t fall asleep until they confess to each other this is their first sleepover and they miss their favorite dolls. After this confidential exchange, Sophie decides Olive may be right. Simple, flat, pastel-hued gouache illustrations exude an innocent cheer as they progress from Olive and Sophie’s apparently exclusive friendship to Olive’s more expansive perspective with her two best friends, Sophie and Penelope.
A charming, emotionally resonant exploration of the oh-so-important concept of “best friend.” (Picture book. 3-7)