View source for Just Right for Two by Tracey Corderoy and Rosalind Beardshaw

{{infobox2
|title=Just Right for Two
|author=Tracey Corderoy and Rosalind Beardshaw
|reviewer=Anne Thompson
|genre=For Sharing
|rating=4.5
|buy=Yes
|borrow=Yes
|isbn=9780857631763
|pages=32
|publisher=Nosy Crow
|date=July 2013
|aznuk=0857631764
|aznus=0857631764
|cover=0857631764 
|website=http://www.traceycorderoy.com/
|video=nI7p28Qzi_U
|summary=A delightful story about friendship that lets children know that the most important things in life aren’t always ‘things’. 
}}
When we first meet Dog he is rushing joyfully through the woods clutching a big, blue suitcase festooned with stickers from his travels. In this suitcase he has put all the treasures he has collected and he is sure that these are all he needs to make him happy. But then one morning Dog meets someone. That someone is Mouse and it is through meeting Mouse that everything changes for Dog. 

This is a delightful book for very young children. The story about friendship is simply told and would be easy for them to follow and they should also be able to relate to both the characters and the situations. Dog’s special things are very cleverly selected to be the, sometimes unlikely, items that young children often cherish themselves. The things in dog’s suitcase that mean so much to him include a small, sparkly pebble, a big, red, shiny button and, of course, '''a really good stick'''. I have a feeling that small children listening to the story would understand why these matter so much to him. 

The colourful and appealing illustrations are designed to give plenty of visual impact and support the text excellently. The double-page spread when Dog is alone in the woods is particularly well done as he sits forlornly among large trees, his isolation emphasised by the absence of the birds and butterflies included on the other pages. I also liked the use of a horizontal split across two pages to show Dog and Mouse searching simultaneously for the mysterious ‘thing’. 

This sweet story works well for demonstrating the value of friendship to very young children and I think they will very easily care about the two characters who have the cute appeal of a much-loved pet or toy. It also conveys extremely well the moral that the most important things in life are not always ‘things’, with humour and a gentle touch. A lovely, picture book for sharing. 

Thank you very much to the lovely people at Nosy Crow publishers for sending a copy of this book to the Bookbag. 

I am a recent convert to [[:Category:Tracey Corderoy|Tracey Corderoy’s]] books and have enjoyed all those I have read so far but for this age group I would particularly recommend [[Shifty McGifty and Slippery Sam by Tracey Corderoy and Steven Lenton|Shifty McGifty and Slippery Sam]], another jolly picture book but this time told in rhyme. We also liked her [[Fairy Tale Pets by Tracey Corderoy and Jorge Martin|Fairy Tale Pets]].  You might also appreciate [[More! by Tracey Corderoy and Tim Warnes]].

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[[Category:Tracey Corderoy]]
[[Category:Rosalind Beardshaw]]