Jealousy is one of those things you can’t explain to a two-year-old. You can’t sit them down and talk through the concept. But you can read them a book where a mouse feels left out because her best friend is playing with someone else, and they get it immediately.
Pip and Posy: The New Friend by Axel Scheffler handles jealousy, friendship, and inclusion better than most toddler books that try to tackle emotions. It doesn’t lecture. It shows what jealousy looks like, what kindness looks like, and how three can be better than two.
Best for ages 2-5.
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What Is The New Friend About?
Pip and Posy go to the beach. They build sandcastles, splash in the water, and have a good time. Then Posy falls asleep under her sun hat.
While Posy naps, Pip meets Zac, a friendly dog. They hit it off. When Posy wakes up, she finds Pip and Zac playing together without her. She’s not happy about it.
Posy feels left out. She sulks. She tries to get Pip’s attention. The situation is uncomfortable in a way that feels real, not exaggerated for the story.
Then a seagull steals Zac’s ice cream. Posy uses her last coin to buy him a new one. That one act of kindness shifts everything. The three of them end up playing together, and the book wraps with “two’s company and three’s a party.”
Why It Works
The jealousy is realistic. Posy doesn’t throw a tantrum or do anything dramatic. She just feels left out, and it shows on her face. Scheffler’s illustrations carry the emotion without words. Kids recognize that feeling because they’ve had it at playgroups, at the park, with siblings.
Nobody is the villain. Pip isn’t being mean by playing with Zac. Zac isn’t trying to steal Pip away. And Posy isn’t wrong for feeling jealous. The book doesn’t assign blame, which makes it useful for actual conversations with your kid about sharing friends.
The resolution comes from kindness, not from an adult fixing things. Posy chooses to be generous. She buys Zac an ice cream with her own money. That’s the turning point, and it happens because of what she does, not because someone told her to. That’s a stronger message than “you should share.”
The beach setting adds to it. The illustrations are warm and summery, and the seaside details (sandcastles, seagulls, ice cream) give kids familiar things to point at and talk about beyond the story itself.
The Pip and Posy Series
Pip (a rabbit) and Posy (a mouse) are best friends navigating everyday toddler situations. The series is written by Camilla Reid and illustrated by Axel Scheffler. Over 20 books and counting.
Each story tackles a specific situation: The Little Puddle (accidents), The Super Scooter (sharing), The Big Balloon (losing something), The Scary Monster (fear), The Bedtime Frog (sleeping away from home).
There’s also a Pip and Posy animated TV series (launched 2021) produced by Magic Light Pictures, the same company behind The Gruffalo animation. Two seasons are available on Sky Kids, Milkshake, Sensical TV, and Plex.
For a different format from the same series, our Pip and Posy: Look and Say review covers the observation and vocabulary book.
What’s Next
For more from Axel Scheffler, check our Gruffalo book review and Gruffalo books and activities guide.
If your child is in the 3-5 age range, browse our books for 3-year-olds and books for 4-year-olds guides for more picks.
About These Recommendations
I’m George. I read to my kids for 10+ years before they started reading on their own. My wife’s a therapist who helped pick books that actually matter for development. Everything on this site got tested on our family first.
FAQs
Ages 2-5. Toddlers follow the story through the pictures, while preschoolers understand the jealousy and friendship themes. It works well as a conversation starter about sharing friends.
Pip and Posy go to the beach. While Posy naps, Pip makes a new friend named Zac. Posy feels jealous when she wakes up. After Posy does something kind for Zac, the three of them end up playing together.
The Pip and Posy series is written by Camilla Reid and illustrated by Axel Scheffler, the illustrator behind The Gruffalo. Scheffler created the Pip and Posy characters when his own daughter was a toddler.
Yes. An animated Pip and Posy series launched in 2021, produced by Magic Light Pictures. It’s available on Sky Kids, Milkshake, Sensical TV, and Plex. Two seasons have been produced.
The book addresses jealousy, inclusion, and kindness. It shows that feeling left out is normal, and that being generous can turn an uncomfortable situation into a positive one. Nobody is blamed for the jealousy, which makes it useful for real conversations with kids.
Over 20 books across multiple formats. The main picture book series includes titles like The Super Scooter, The Little Puddle, The Scary Monster, and The Bedtime Frog. There are also felt-flap books for younger toddlers and vocabulary/activity books.