Plus One - by John Hare

About the Book

"Agnes is new to town and wants to make friends, so she invites some girls in her class to a fancy tea party. When there is a knock at the door, she expects to see them--not Dave from next door. This isn't "The invitation says plus one. This means you need to bring a friend. And since you don't have a friend with you--goodbye." Agnes is sure that will be the end of that, but Dave is persistent, and before long he's bringing one friend after another as his plus one. But as the minutes pass and the other guests don't show up, Agnes is left with nothing but her tea set, watching Dave and his friends play tag. She works up the nerve to ask if she can join in and receives a resounding yes-- and when the original guests arrive (late because of soccer practice) everyone heads inside for tea, no species excluded."--Publisher marketing.

Book Synopsis

When Agnes decides to host a tea party, she finds it hard to shake a most unlikely guest . . . and his even more unlikely friends.

Agnes is new to town and wants to make friends, so she invites some girls in her class to a fancy tea party. When there is a knock at the door, she expects to see them--not Dave from next door. This isn't what she had in mind at all. . .

"The invitation says plus one.
This means you need to bring a friend.
And since you don't have a friend with you--goodbye."

Agnes is sure that will be the end of that, but Dave is persistent, and before long he's bringing one friend after another as his plus one. Pierre of the North, Esquire, a goose who Agnes deems too loud; Fred, a cactus that's too prickly; Dr. Scalywiggles, a legless lizard she mistakes for a snake; even his mom, who makes great French toast and lets him win at tag. Alas, no grownups are allowed at this tea party.

But as the minutes pass and the other guests don't show up, Agnes is left with nothing but her tea set, watching Dave and his friends play tag. She works up the nerve to ask if she can join in and receives a resounding yes-- and when the original guests arrive (late because of soccer practice) everyone heads inside for tea, no species excluded.

In this fun and funny tale, John Hare, author and illustrator of Field Trip to the Moon, Field Trip to the Ocean Deep, and Field Trip to Volcano Island, uses his signature wit and buoyant illustrations to share the timeless message that sometimes new friends turn out to be someone unexpected.

Review Quotes

"Plus One is a funny but charged story about the wrongheadedness of exclusion. . . ."--Shelf Awareness

"Treading a fine line between slightly heartbreaking and sweetly funny, this story is sure to spark discussions about kindness and inclusion. A solid purchase for picture book collections, and a strong choice for story hours about friendship and empathy."--School Library Journal

"The story is engaging, as are the warmly colored, comical illustrations, hand-painted in acrylic on hardboard. A good embedded lesson on the rewards of being inclusive."--Booklist

"A fun reminder to be open to friendship."--Kirkus Reviews

"Hare proffers this tale of inclusion with a light touch, gently underscoring the message that it's good to be open to new friends."--Publishers Weekly

About the Author

John Hare is a freelance illustrator and graphic designer as well as the creator of Field Trip to the Moon (an ALA Notable Children's Book and a LITA Golden Duck Picture Book), Field Trip to the Ocean Deep (a LITA Golden Duck Picture Book), and Field Trip to Volcano Island (a School Library Journal Best Book of the Year). He lives in Gladstone, Missouri with his wife and two children. Visit him at johnhareart.com.