"Meet Stick and Stone. They stick up for each other, because friends rock!"

Stone is lonely. Stick has no friends. They meet each other and love having fun. This unlikely pair learn what friendship is all about - fun playtime but also supporting one another, sticking up (stick sticks up, get it?) to bullies, and helping each other through difficult times. The words in this tale are light and easy for the youngest of readers to understand. It has a nice rhyming melody that makes the story playful and fun. Stick and Stone do a lot of active tactile play that keep young minds engaged. My four year old LOVED the part where Stone splashes in a puddle and makes a loud splooshing sound.

"Stone whispers, 'Gee, you stuck up for me!' 'That's just what sticks do. Friends do it too.'"

This darling story also teaches the lesson of bullying to an age group that probably is just starting to experience real playground interacting time. Preschoolers are just beginning the life long lesson of socializing in happy, productive ways and not bullying ways. Reading this story would make a great introduction to that conversation.

I love the pictures by Tom Lichtenheld! They have a sketched with color pencil quality that is bright and friendly with a lot of life and energy. They add a lot to the story. recommended reader age: 1-4