AMANDA PIG AND HER BEST FRIEND LOLLIPOP

In this entry in the Easy-to-Read series, ebullient Amanda Pig (Oliver and Amanda and the Big Snow, 1995, etc.) discovers that independence can be scary. With new best friend Lollipop, Amanda spends a day playing at home, another outside with their toy “babies,” and another at Lollipop’s house, in her grand purple room. A sleepover takes an Edward-the-Unready turn (Edward’s Overwhelming Overnight, 1995) and Amanda phones home, with the wish to be in her own bed at night. Amanda’s neighborhood is filled with understanding and loving adults, while Schweninger’s colorful pastel illustrations reinforce the overall tone of warmth and predictability of the text. Van Leeuwen creates a comfortable world of safety and security in this feel-good, reassuring book. (Picture book. 4-8)