The story's main character, Irene, is upset because her teacher picked her to be a toadstool in the school pageant. The other kids in the class made fun of Irene for it and she was terribly upset over it. Irene's mother, Sophie, convinces her to do her best although it isn't what she particularly wants to be. Irene stood out in the play because she was the only toadstool, while everyone else blended into the crowd. The other kids were "green with envy". I love how this story teaches kids to be themselves and stick out. Many children get bullied, or made fun of for being themselves, as Irene did. So they think that they have to fall in with the crowd when that's certainly not the case. ( )

"James Marshall has a great sense of homor, which is highly expressed in his books." All the character in this story are so cute and funny! The book is about Irene, who is a bulldog, she is very sad and upset because the kids at school are bullying her about her being a "toadstool" in the play. But soon that all changes because at the end of the story, she ended up being the center of attention at the play and the play was a big success. ( )

A big hit with my 4 year old daughter Rhiannon who was unhappy when she was selected to be a horse in the 2008 Christmas play in preschool.