A PERFECT PLACE TO PLAY

The animals of the Forever Friends Farm learn the value of sharing.

Introduced in Forever Kind (2025), supporting characters P.J. the goose and Winston the mouse take center stage as they explore the forest near their farm. Spying a spot where they and their pals can play, they clear away leaves and sticks. P.J. and Winston are eager to show their friends their new space, but when everyone heads over to the forest together, they’re surprised and disappointed to see the leaves and sticks again piled up in the middle of the glade. A group of red, tan, and brown squirrels appear, led by a purple squirrel named Pearl (like the necklace she wears), who explains that they use the leaves as beds. A sudden thunderstorm interrupts the discussion and sends everyone running to the barn. Grateful that the farm animals were willing to share their space, Pearl instantly decides to reciprocate and share the squirrels’ forest spot. The narrative arc is short, with the conflict resolved unrealistically speedily; P.J. and Winston never acknowledge that they did, however inadvertently, take over the squirrels’ space. The language is generally concise and phonetic (with exceptions like squirrels), if a bit bland. The uneven rhythm throughout is challenging, since natural accents are displaced, but occasional rhymes (sticks/fix; squirrel/Pearl) help. Full-color, Disney-esque images fill the pages; sporting cute accessories, the animals have large googly eyes, wide smiles, and quasi-human grips and gestures.

Sweet but lackluster attempts at social-emotional learning.