The Playdate

For one little girl, the prospect of a playdate at her friend Henry's house fills her with excitement.

She really likes Henry. He even has a funny dog. And even though she and her mother have to take a bus, then a subway, then another subway, then another bus, and then walk a bit to get there, it's worth it because Henry's house has millions of rooms to hide in and hundreds of toys to play with.

But while the text tells one story, the illustrations slowly reveal another. As the kids tear around the house enjoying each other's company, their moms experience the playdate very differently. Soon we find that the little girl and her friend Henry live lives that are poles apart.

This powerful story about friendship across economic divides encourages readers to question why we live in a society where those who have and those who have not live very different lives.