
Reach for this book when your child is struggling to share a space or feels like their hard work is being ruined by someone else's rowdy behavior. It is a perfect choice for children who are highly focused on their goals and feel a sense of injustice when others do not follow the rules or disrupt their organized activities. In this winter tale, Angelina is determined to make her New Year's Eve Ice Dance perfect, but a group of boisterous hockey players keeps causing chaos on the ice. Rather than staying angry or giving up, Angelina finds a creative way to include the disruptors in the performance. This story beautifully models how to pivot from frustration to collaboration, making it an excellent tool for teaching conflict resolution and inclusive thinking to preschoolers and early elementary students.
The book is entirely secular and safe. It deals with social friction and 'bullying-adjacent' behavior (teasing and disruption) in a metaphorical way through animal characters. The resolution is hopeful and focuses on integration rather than punishment.


















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Sign in to write a reviewA 5-year-old who is a 'rule-follower' and gets easily upset during recess or playdates when other children play too roughly or don't follow the 'script' of a shared game.
This book can be read cold. It may be helpful to look at the illustrations of the hockey players' antics to discuss the difference between 'mean' behavior and just 'different' ways of playing. A parent might choose this after hearing their child complain, 'They kept ruining my game!' or 'I don't want to play with them because they are too loud.'
Younger children (3-4) will focus on the colorful costumes and the action of the skating. Older children (5-7) will better grasp the social engineering Angelina performs to turn 'enemies' into teammates.
Unlike many books that simply tell kids to 'be nice' or 'ignore' disruptors, this book suggests that those who disrupt might actually have skills that can contribute to the group if given a specific role.
Angelina Mouseling is practicing for the New Year's Eve Ice Dance. Her rehearsals are repeatedly interrupted by Spike and Sammy, two hockey-playing mice who create chaos with their rough play and snowballs. After an initial period of intense frustration, Angelina realizes that the hockey players have impressive skills. She decides to invite them to join the show, transforming their 'disruptive' movements into part of the choreography, leading to a successful community celebration.
This overview was generated by AI based on the book's content and reviews, and may not capture every nuance.