Title: Toot & Puddle: The New Friend

Author: Holly Hobbie

Illustrator: Holly Hobbie

Publishing Information: Little, Brown and Company, 2004

Number of Pages: 29

Genre: Fable

Analysis:

Toot and Puddle are two pigs that are spending some time playing with their friend Opal, who introduces them to her new friend Daphne. Daphne seems to be very good at everything she does, and she certainly knows it as she shows off her talents and skills to the three other pigs, making her come across as a snob. Eventually, a conflict occurs in which Opal demonstrates a skill that Daphne does not have, and the friends realize that everyone has different skills and talents that they are good at.

This story serves as a window for children to understand that, although someone may be very talented at one thing, they should not view this as a shortcoming on their part; no one is good at everything, and different people have different talents. In the beginning of the story, Daphne has most of the power, because everyone is impressed that she has so many talents. However, this shifts when she begins to be a bit snobbish, and the friends are less enthralled with her because they dislike her attitude. This is evident, as the facial expressions and negative body language are reflected nicely in the illustrations.

In the beginning of the story, the colors are very bright and warm, signaling a freedom and happiness among Toot, Puddle, and Opal. However, there is a noticeable absence of illustrations and the colors begin to dull as the story proceeds, as a result of the frustration that emerges when Daphne is introduced. At the end of the story, Opal is seen looking out the window, which symbolizes her growth from the beginning of the story, as she finds a skill she is best at and learns the moral of the story.

As I touched upon, this story teaches children that everyone has different skills, and no one is better or worse than another person because of their individual skills. I perceived this book as one that had a conflict with showing off and how that impacted friendships when I read it for the first time, which is still a theme that is worth acknowledging. The illustrations are primarily framed, so they are experiencing the story as an outsider who can glean the message from our own point of view. I think that this book provides a creative way to teach children about the impacts of bragging, and how everyone has different abilities that make them special.