Review - Playdates Rule!

Playdates Rule!
by Rob McClurkan
Date: 2017
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book non-fiction
Pages: 32
Format: e-book
Source: library

Ezra can't wait for his "little" friend Finley to come over and play! But Ezra's parents are in for a surprise, because Finley isn't like Ezra's other friends--Finley is an elephant!

The two pals have some big, BIG plans, like: riding bikes, dancing in the tree house, and bouncing on the trampoline. But Ezra's parents come up with a list of rules. No piggyback rides. No loud voices. Absolutely no running inside.

No problem, though! Ezra and Finley have lots of ideas up their sleeves . . . and everything will be fine as long as they remember the most important rule of all: to always have fun!

This fun and funny friendship story is perfect for young readers and their parents who are all too familiar with their playdates.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

I don't really understand the point of this one. Ezra's parents make up a bunch of fairly arbitrary rules and then proceed to throw cold water on their kid's playdate. His dad tells him they can make as much noise as they want outside, but then he goes outside and makes up another rule when they disturb his hammock nap. (Also, why does the dad have rhinophyma? Makes me wonder what else is in that mug besides coffee...)

There's no explanation of the rules, or talk about the importance of following them. It's just Ezra's parents making them up and trying to enforce them. Meanwhile, the elephant ends up smashing through the roof after he attempts to jump on the trampoline. Is it supposed to be amusing when Ezra tells him not to worry about it because his dad loves fixing things? (I doubt his dad thinks the giant hole in the roof is that funny.)

The pictures are cute, but the story is so weak that I just can't recommend this one. I'm still trying to figure out the point of it all.

Premise: 2/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 3/5
Illustrations: 3/5
Originality: 3/5

Enjoyment: 2/5

Overall: 2.5 out of 5