Lucy knows how to do everything. She knows how to eat with a spoon and fork, play the xylophone, paint elephants - and lots more besides! All her friends ask her for help if they need to know the right way to do something. When Toshi arrives, Lucy thinks he can't do anything properly at all. He eats differently, plays strange music, and he definitely can't paint elephants. She can barely hide her frustration. And when she finally tries to teach Toshi the right way to do things, she learns a very important lesson herself. A simple, funny tale about understanding, respecting and enjoying our differences.

Self-confidence, Self-esteem and self-efficacy: Lucy’s self-esteem is healthy, until we realise that she thinks that her way of doing things is the only ‘right’ way. She feels proud that she is talented and has many skills; this is clear from the tone of the text. Children can learn about third-person subjective narratives; as the narrator describes events from Lucy’s point of view. Readers can also challenge these judgements in the narration: “Toshi’s gymnastics were all wrong…” – is the narrator reliable, or do the pictures tell a different story? Another example of this character trait is Toshi’s confidence in his skills, which is not shaken, even when Lucy tells him “That’s NOT How You Do It!”

Patience, conflict resolution and communication: Toshi remains calm, even when confronted by Lucy. He defuses the situation by teaching her to make origami cranes, and now she has a better understanding, she teaches him how to fold paper stars. There’s a strong message about being open-minded and sharing, both of which are key social skills.