A Bad Case of Stripes

Camilla Cream keeps her love of lima beans to herself because her schoolmates dislike them—and her concern about their opinions soon takes a visible, stripe-covered turn. David Shannon builds a humorous picture-book premise around peer pressure and the choice between hiding a preference and expressing it. The stripes give that inner conflict a playful, concrete form, while the story’s stated focus on courage and staying true to yourself gives families a natural starting point for talking about fitting in.