Peppa Pig: Peppa's play date by Neville Astley and Mark Baker

Ladybird, 2020. ISBN: 9780241412237. Board book.
(Age: 1-4) Another in the Peppa Pig series is sure to have young children delighted as Peppa and her family prepare for a play date with Peppa's new friends Mandy Mouse and Peggi and Pandora Panda. Peppa is very excited to be having her friends over. Mummy Pig puts out lots of games, while Daddy Pig organises the crafts for the friends to use. However when they arrived Mandy Mouse really wants to play in the garden and so they all troop outside to play imaginative games like princesses, pirates and giants.
The Peppa Pig series always extols the virtues of family life and this is no exception. Mummy and Daddy Pig are happy to accommodate the children's needs even though the work they did to set up activities is ignored by the children. Daddy Pig brings out a wonderful feast for the friends to enjoy in the backyard and a very happy time is had by them.
Mandy Mouse and Peggi and Pandora Panda are new additions to the friends of Peppa and it is great to see diversity here with Mandy Mouse happily playing in her wheelchair and proving to be a leader among the friends.
This is a feel good book that shows the familiar to the young child who may just be beginning to experience play dates. It also emphasises the benefits of the imagination and making your own fun while sharing it with others.
Pat Pledger