The Pink Party - Hardcover

Maryann Macdonald lives in New York, New York and is the author of more than 25 children's books.

Illustrator Judy Stead lives in Charlotte NC.  She has illustrated more than a dozen children's trade books, and is the author/illustrator of The Twelve Days of Christmas in North Carolina.

Gr. 2-3. Best friends often like the same things, and for Amy and Lisa, it's the color pink. Trouble begins when Amy, who has more things than Lisa, wants to buy pink shoes just like her friend's. Not finding any pink shoes, Amy chooses a pink lunch box instead. As often happens, a not-so-friendly competition fosters hurt feelings and jealousy. The contest for more and better and bigger pink items escalates from a pencil case to a playhouse. When Amy's pink playhouse is finished, the girls decide to give a pink fairy party. But the push to outdo each other in obtaining the best pink fairy costume spoils the fun, and Lisa goes home. Only later do both girls realize that having a friend is more important than anything pink. This beginning chapter book carries a meaningful message with which many youngsters will identify. Carter's lively, wispy watercolor and color-pencil illustrations, in many shades of pink, enhance the story. Deborah Abbott