The latest entry in author/illustrator Ashley Spires’s classroom favourite Most Magnificent series tackles another tricky aspect of the creative process – building constructive collaborations.

Full of ideas, the inventive pigtailed girl in her signature polka dot dress gathers supplies and heads to her plein air sidewalk workshop, accompanied by her trusty pug sidekick. Initially surprised to find she’s not the only maker kid on the block (“someone ELSE got there FIRST”), she invites the new neighbour and her cat to join forces on a pet project.

As the neighbour inserts her own ideas into the blueprints, the girl begins to wonder what she’s gotten herself into, and has an inkling there might be trouble ahead: “She didn’t know that working with someone else would involve CHANGES.” After divvying up tasks, it quickly becomes apparent the two creators have very different decision-making styles: one is a thinker and a planner, the other is a tinkerer and a plunger. Constructive criticism doesn’t land well (“The neighbour says something about always measuring twice and cutting once, but that sounds like it will take way too long”), and after additional complications, the girls get in a snit and turn their backs on each other and their shared project.

The emotional arc rings true in this relatable, slice-of-life picture book. Mounting frustration and tension can be read in escalating body language, from crossed arms to glowering side-eyed glances, and in terse dialogue bubbles. The rivalry also plays out between the animal assistants in Spires’s animated cartoon illustrations.

When their solo initiatives flop, the creatives give collaboration another chance. The girls realize they need to adjust their reactions and craft a compromise in order to fix their joint creation. Modelling stellar conflict-resolution skills, the designer duo “make plans, build parts and talk through problems as a team.” Acknowledging that differences of opinion are inevitable, when one gets stuck, the other is there to help; and when they disagree, they both take a breather.

With read-aloud charm galore and teachable moments aplenty, The Most Magnificent Team is a most magnificent primer on managing emotions, overcoming obstacles, and working together.