- Picture Books
- Ages 2–6
- Everyday Life
I'm Sticking with You Too
Book 2 of 3 in I'm Sticking with YouView the full series
The sequel to I'm Sticking with You: Bear and Squirrel's cosy twosome is upended when Chicken wants to join in. A funny, warm story about making room for a new friend and discovering that three can be even better than two.
- Best for2–6
- FormatPicture
- Length32 pp
- Read aloud~6 min
The vibe
What it’s like.
Style
- Rhyming
- Repetitive
- Conversational
Tone
- Funny
- Warm
- Heartwarming
- Gentle
Themes
Experience meters
What’s it about?
The story.
Bear and Squirrel have their friendship down to a perfect rhythm, so when noisy, eager Chicken turns up wanting to join in, the two friends aren't at all sure there's space for a third. Chicken's audition doesn't exactly go smoothly, and, feeling unwanted, he sets off alone, straight towards a pair of decidedly hungry-looking foxes. It takes a proper rescue for Bear and Squirrel to realise that Chicken's differences are exactly what their little gang needs, and that opening up their friendship makes it bigger, braver and more fun. Smriti Halls's warm, rhyming text and Steve Small's characterful artwork turn a familiar playground worry, is there room for one more?, into a reassuring, funny story about inclusion, teamwork and belonging. A perfect follow-up for anyone who loved the first book, and a gentle prompt for talking about welcoming others in.
Fit check
Right for your child?
Where it lands by age
Best as a shared read-aloud from 2 or 3. The inclusion theme gives it extra usefulness for early-years settings and for children meeting new friends or a new sibling.
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- Best fit · 2–6
- Read aloud · 2–6
- Independent · 5–7
Prose load
Light
Visual support
Very high
Reluctant-reader friendly
Very
Read-aloud quality
Excellent
Works well for
- Reading aloud
- Bedtime
- Reading together
- Gift-buying
- Reluctant readers
Nothing in the book is likely to concern most parents. Safe to recommend without preview.
Bedtime suitability
4 / 5 · Bedtime-friendly
Sensitive-child
5 / 5 · Good fit
Graphic intensity
1 / 5 · None
Best for
- Friendship
- Inclusion
- Read aloud
- Making room for others
- Rhyming stories
Avoid if
- Wants action adventure
- Dislikes rhyme
Particularly good for children who are…
- Making friends
- New sibling
In the classroom
How it works in school.
A ready-made EYFS/PSHE story for talking about sharing friends, welcoming newcomers and the strength that different people bring to a group.
A book children love that happens to support school — never a stand-in for the texts a class is taught with.
Why it lands
Why they love it.
Why kids love it
The push-pull of a new friend wanting in is instantly recognisable, and Chicken's clumsy eagerness is very funny. The fox-rescue gives just enough peril before the happy, three-is-better ending.
- Friendship and belonging
- Being understood finally
- Cosy safety
Why parents love it
A warm, reassuring take on jealousy and inclusion: the friendship gets bigger, not smaller, when Chicken joins. Ideal for a child navigating a new sibling, a new classmate or a changing friendship group.
- Shared humour
- Beautiful illustrations
- Bedtime appropriate
- Conversation starter
In the series
I'm Sticking with You.
3 books · open the series →
About the creators
About the creators.
If you liked this
Three ways out of this book.
If you liked this, try…
Lateral matches. Same shelf, different texture.
Come into this from…
Easier or preparing reads — perfect lead-ins.
Where to go next…
Escalation reads — a step up in scale, silliness, or stakes.
More like this…
Books that share themes and topics with this one.
