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Young Ethan loves being in Kindergarten. Every day, they learn new things, and they enjoy sharing their experiences with each other. However, Ethan is uncertain about how to approach recess. This attitude soon changes when his third grade cousin Lucy teaches him four square, a game that he can play with other students at recess. While doing so at school, however, he gets pushed and bullied by a kid in his class named Jim. Later, the principal makes Jim apologize to Ethan, and Jim explains that he got rough because of his own anxieties over playing four square. The two of them form a friendship and have fun at recess together, alongside their other classmates. The four square game soon becomes a way for everyone to bond.
This story includes many colorful illustrations that will draw in young readers. Its primary focus, in addition to teaching children to be kind and courteous to others in elementary school, is to show readers how to play the game of four square. The rules for the game are clearly listed twice in the text, and it is shown as a favored activity at recess that encourages kids to have fun with their classmates in a positive way. The need to tell teachers about acts of bullying is an important lesson shared in the text as well, as is the importance of communicating feelings of uncertainty rather than resorting to violence. Overall, this is a fun little story about how to behave in elementary school, which is likely to push young readers to enjoy a game of four square with their playmates.