The Playdate

This book has fabulous pictures but it also has an amazing storyline, the little kids mum is the cleaner of her friend. I think it really dives deep; Clara did an excellent job!

Arielle

Hasmonean Pages

Matilda

DA Gladiators

I loved all the different shades of colours, it was a rainbow day so there was lots of fun colours!!!

Ezra

Tore Shadows

I liked this book a lot and I think it gives very good messages and the most important one is that to never steal because it can ruin friendships or you will get told off.

Kaushika

Sale High Readers

If you are looking for an enticing, interesting and lovely book turn to this book The Playdate. This book has friendship for younger kids and economic inequality and rights and wrongs for older kids. For an example of economic inequality, when the girl (main character) and Henry play with Felix (the dog) on page 7. In the background you can see the mum of the girl bringing a vacuum cleaner up the stairs. And if it were a playdate or hang out for the mums the girls mum should have been talking with the other mum instead of cleaning up her house giving me the assumption that her mum is only going to Henry's house to clean. An example of friendship is on pages 4 - 18 where the girl and Henry are playing together. In my opinion they play really nicely together though at the end we learnt that the girl did a not so good thing of stealing Henry's robot toy. To further explain myself this book has lots of perspectives in life because of economic inequality and friendship. In conclusion, this has been an exciting yet intriguing book. This book also has tons of meaning in the pictures and is very meaningful.

Alex

Southbank Shadowers

It reminds me of the playdates that l have been to and l had little jouneys

ORLA

DA Gladiators

I enjoyed this book because there was a hidden secret where the girl's mum was cleaning the boy's mum's house but that was it for me, 7.5/10

Clodagh

Sullivan Shadowers

comments during the session i liked them playing hide and seek it made me happy they were having fun it was good because it teaches a lesson about not stealing it made me feel wierd (mixed emotions)

carol

Tales Tied with Ribbon Reading Group

This book reminds me of when I used to have playdates with my friends but also it shows that people can be friends with anyone and their status doesn't matter but their personality does. I reccomend this book to any ages.

Sharanya

Sale High Readers

Y5 thought the cross media illustrations were really cool but quite simple and would like more detail. Y3 said the colours were beautiful and really calm. Y2 loved the story and thought the girl hiding in the bath was funny! The pictures were colourful, eye catching and pastel.

Reading Ambassadors

Langtoft Reading Ambassadors

I found the contrast between the blond haired-blue eyed kid and the black-haired little girl really cool, I think it's supposed to symbolize how the traditionally "good" boy, with blond hair and blue eyes is living a good life, but the other child, the girl, who stole the robot is traditionally less good in media.

Zofia

Willow Book Whispers

I liked when they played together. I didn't like it when the girls stole Henry's robot. But she told her mum which was good. The End.

Ariel

Danum Doodlers Does Books

a wonderful book which shows the difference in financial situations and how it affects children

freya

Sale High Readers

The playdate is a really good book for young readers. Playdate is about a young girl who has to travel very far to get to her friend's house because the girl's mum works as a house maid. This book is a really good life lesson to say not everyone has the same amount of toys or stuff or money as you. Would really recommend this book for young readers.

catherine

Sale High Readers

This book has a lesson in it that is never to steal but it also proves that no matter what you do your parents will always love you and help you in life. the pictures are also really colourful.

Esme

Sale High Readers

I really like it, I can tell what is happening from the illustrations without having to read it. I like the illustrations and the interesting colours used and how the colours show what's happening in the story.

Lucia

Stillness Infants Reading Ambassadors

This book has a contrast of rich and poor as the little girls mum is the boy's mum's maid/cleaner, showing that it wasn't a playdate and thy were going there for her mum to work but the children just happened to be friends. There is also lots of subtle hints that this is what is happening.

grace

TGGS Carnegie Readers

This book was extremely clever with the use of illustration, and it is quite easy to see the innocent and not-so-innocent messages in this story. I think that all ages could read it- with the young children seeing the play and the innocence of the children in the story, and older children and adults seeing the hidden messages of social inequality. However, I'm not sure how I feel about the overall style of the illustrations. It was a very good book on the whole though.

Bella

TGGS Carnegie Readers

the two children are friends and they go to their friends house to play. The kids mum cleans around the house so she might be a cleaner. A very good book for bedtime!

Heidi

Alexander Readers

I liked this book because the pictures were well illustrated

Ela

Alexander Readers

it had a mixed colour tone which makes it more injoyable

Ali

Alexander Readers

It was a clever use of the illustrations. It was very interesting. It made us feel a bit sad at the end when we realised what was really happening. The pictures weren't that clear and we were not sure what was happening in the background. We had to really concentrate to work out the story. A really good effort!

The Worms

Wormies2026

I really love this book named The Playdate! I think that it should be in all schools because it talks about stealing and feeling guilty as well.

Safiyya

Read for the stars

The Playdate was good to read, and interesting. I suggest that 10 year olds and above read it. It should be read in all schools because it's a lesson on stealing. It's bad to steal but if you are honest and tell the truth, then a person might forgive you.

Anayah

Read for the stars

This book had some nice illustrations, but the context is not too clear. I think that it is because the translations weren't as good as the original in a different language...

Amelia

Weald of Kent Grammar (Sevenoaks)

fun and intresting for all ages

Nayala

Hackney Primary Reading Champions

it was6.7/10 it was a bboring even though it was short and it wasn't interest

Mouhamed

Hackney Primary Reading Champions

A really nice story that shows no matter how different you may be from someone else you can still get along. It also teaches to correct mistakes.

Joe

Rad readers

Iris

Atlantic Awesome Readers

Iris

Atlantic Awesome Readers

Iris

Atlantic Awesome Readers

Iris

Atlantic Awesome Readers

Isaac

Atlantic Awesome Readers

Isaac

Atlantic Awesome Readers

Isaac

Atlantic Awesome Readers

Isaac

Atlantic Awesome Readers

Hazel

Atlantic Awesome Readers

Hazel

Atlantic Awesome Readers

Hazel

Atlantic Awesome Readers

Scarlett

Atlantic Awesome Readers

Scarlett

Atlantic Awesome Readers

Scarlett

Atlantic Awesome Readers

Scarlett

Atlantic Awesome Readers

Keira

Atlantic Awesome Readers

Charlie

Atlantic Awesome Readers

Charlie

Atlantic Awesome Readers

Charlie

Atlantic Awesome Readers

Charlie

Atlantic Awesome Readers

We were unsure on this one as a group. The children were not sure on the illustrations in this one compared to some of the other books we have reviewed as the colour palette was a lot more muted. The children did appreciate the use of watercolour in the illustrations as well as some of the fun images but they were concerned with the idea of different social classes with the two adults compared to the two children. They did enjoy spotting the nods to Swedish infrastructure in the book too!

Katie

The St James Shadowers

Such a deep book with a whole other level. Looks like a regular playdate but really the girls mother is a cleanere for the boys mother. It shows the difference between social classes and we wonder if the mother (cleaner) will be able to keep her job once they find out her childhas taken a toy.

Motti & Mrs Nezmi

Belsize Stories

I think the pictures were interesting as they put the story across in an abstract way. It was a nice example of show not tell.

Willa

Pinewood

I think the pictures were good, I liked the colours. I rate this book ⅘

Chessie

Pinewood

I think this book was quite intense because I felt like you couldn’t stop reading it until you got to the end but I did find the end disturbing because it didn’t tell us what happened with the robot. I liked how the pictures showed the mum cleaning and it wasn’t a proper playdate. I rate this book ⅗

Bea

Pinewood

I really liked the book and when you’re reading it, it makes you not want to stop. The story was really interesting. It was nice that when the mum was working the children were having a playdate but I think at the end of the book it should tell us a bit more so we can see what happens about the robot and the mum taking it back and what Henry said about it. I think the pictures were good at explaining the book in a different way to the words. I liked how we could use the pictures for visual guidance. I rate this book 5/5

Margaux

Pinewood

I found the book a little bit disturbing because it made me feel very sorry for the girl and her mum because it made me realise that there are people in this world who don’t have very much. I think the ending was abrupt and I would have liked to see what happens with the girl, Henry and the robot. I think the illustrations were very beautiful but I think there should have been a bit more colour and detail. I rate this book 3/5

Cecily

Pinewood

The Playdate has ok illustration and is deeper than it looks. The words are pretty basic, but the storyline can be very interesting.

Mendy

Belsize Stories

I liked the book, but I wanted to know the ending, so I wrote what I thought might happen: The little girl took the robot back to Henry. Henry was angry that she took his robot. He asked why she took it. She said it was the thing she most wanted in her entire life. Henry said, "I don't care if it was the most important thing you ever wanted in your whole world and life. You still shouldn't have taken it. It was not ok to take other people's stuff. It's mine, and you still shouldn't have taken it."

John

Inkscape Critics

Archie

Inkscape Critics

Eddie

Inkscape Critics

Grayson

Inkscape Critics

Raiden

Inkscape Critics

Anthony

Inkscape Critics

The book was okay, I wish it were longer. The pictures were very good.

Alfie

Inkscape Critics

It was okay.

erin

Inkscape Critics

I found The Playdate a really nice book to read. I wouldn't of noticed the hidden message in the pictures if somebody hadn't told me. I didn't really like the ending though;it was too quick and abrupt to just be the end. It almost just stopped,but overall I think it was a really nice book.

Evelyn

TGGS Carnegie Readers

I enjoyed this book because it has the sweet storyline of a girl going to a friends house to play. However there is more than first meets the eye, on most pages you can see hidden details indicating the difference in class between the two families. Overall I think this book cleverly represents inequalities in the world through beautiful illustrations.

Nina

TGGS Carnegie Readers

It was interesting how the writing and the illustrations told a different story. I like how when they were playing servants and kings, the roles were reversed. It had quite an abrupt ending though, and overall I would rate it 4 stars.

Lucy

TGGS Carnegie Readers

Interesting book and happy ending. I would rate it 4 and a half stars.

Anna Lily

LomondSchoolHelensburgh

Interesting story line and good ending. I would rate this 4 and a half stars.

Anna Lily

LomondSchoolHelensburgh

I liked the book. It was fun to read, two kids went out on a playdate. I think it would be good for younger children to read. It shows lots of messages for younger children to understand, a moral to the story which can be used to help children understand.

Iliyan

Brockhill Book Club

I thought the illustrations were incredibly good, and the story it tells how they are best friends but she ends up taking something from the boy was a good way to show parents showing empathy and understanding to their child. In one of the scenes I liked that the background was detailed as well as the hidden details that I noticed.

Leila

Brockhill Book Club

I think that the book is good becasue it shows different perspectives of different people's lives and experiences. It shows how kids think differently to adults as they play servants and kings the opposite way around to how their life actually is. Their mums are opposite to what they are playing. It shows that even though people might be different due to money, but really everyone is actually the same and shouldn't treat people differently.

Tessa

Brockhill Book Club

I feel like the book was quite sad, the girls didn't actually realise that it wasn't actually a playdate but the mum was going to clean the house. I liked the whole book in general, but I did like how the mum tried to make it fun for her child whislt that she is on a job. It really showed how tricky some things are for single mums and how they have to work so hard. And how lonely it might be for the child. I liked how it showed how the child is aware in their own way that they know about the finance situation with their mum and tries to make her not upset by it. 4/5 for message behind the book - I think that younger children might need a little bit more in terms of explaining what is going on really, but it is an important story.

Holly

Brockhill Book Club

I really enjoyed reading this book. It was such a sweet story! It had a really nice storyline to it. It was very enjoyable and relaxing to read. The illustrations were very detailed and I loved the watercolour artwork - it was really cool! It was so cute, I loved the book. The message of the book did help me learn about other people's experiences

Sophie

Brockhill Book Club