The Playdate

K-Gr 2–The play date begins ordinarily enough when, after passing a robot toy she covets more than anything in the world, the protagonist travels out of the city center with her mother via subways and buses. However, upon arriving at their destination, slowly revealed through Dackenberg’s fine-lined illustrations featuring gouache, watercolor, and paper cut-outs, it is comprehended this is not an ordinary play ate between two peers. The girl, who longs for a toy her mother cannot afford, has come to play with a boy who lives in a home with seemingly endless rooms and with punk and feminist art adorning every wall. The two children play “kings and servants,” which involves a bit of boot-kissing. As the story unfolds, it becomes clear that the blond boy lives like a prince while the narrator’s mother has brought her daughter along while she works as a house cleaner. Henry’s mother offers the employee and her daughter lunch, but the narrator’s mother has brought her own sandwiches, and the families eat separately. Older readers may find much to discuss in what is left unsaid, and educators may wish to use this title to introduce the topic of class differences and the larger issue of economic justice.