Let's Make Friends About the Book (Designed for Ages 4 to 10) This beautifully illustrated children's book helps us understand how best to treat our friends. The other animals do not want to be near Badger and he cannot understand why. After all, he is the cleanest animal in the forest, but he is very lonely! Why has he lost all his friends? FIPS, (the fox in peppergreen socks) meets unhappy Badger, crying in the forest and believes that with the power of his special socks he can guide Badger to treat his friends according to the Golden Rule. This book is written in rhyme. Rhyming is an excellent way for young readers to remember a story and develop phonemic awareness which is a necessary early literacy skill. As a "read to your child" book, The Lonely Badger is a learning experience and is helpful for any child finding it difficult to make friends. Kimberly Smith Andreadis has succeeded in providing a beautiful story that at the same time provides instruction. I highly recommend this book to parents and teachers who want to ignite the imagination of their children and students while teaching them vocabulary and life lessons. Liz Bikakis, M.Ed. Reading Specialist, Literacy Consultant Montgomery County Maryland www.foxinpeppergreensocks.com