Character Spotlight: Rosie & Bailey

By Oliver Perry, Read to Them Staff

Happy Monday friends. We hope you are as excited as we are to get into the second half of Granny Torrelli Makes Soup by Sharon Creech. Last week, we got to know our title character, Granny Torrelli. This time around, let’s get to know…

Rosie and Bailey!

Names: Rosie and Bailey

Appearance: We don’t hear much about Rosie’s appearance, but she describes Bailey for us. She says he has freckles on his face, hair that sticks all the way up, and a wonderful smile that’s always on his face.

Relationship: Rosie and Bailey have been best friends since they were very, very little. In fact, they were born next door to each other! They’ve done everything together since they were kids! They go to the zoo, the park, and spend birthdays together. When talking about Bailey, Rosie says, “I pretended he was my brother, only he was better than a brother because I chose him and he chose me.”

Family: Rosie loves her parents, but they are always so busy! Granny Torrelli is her grandma, and she looks after Rosie and provides her with good advice. Bailey’s father left when he was young and never came back. Bailey lives with his wonderful, caring mother, Carmelita.

Personalities:

• Rosie is very creative and imaginative. She gets along well with others, but she is known to have a stubborn streak. Sometimes she acts without thinking, and she can unintentionally hurt those around her. She can get jealous, but Rosie really just has so much love for Bailey and her family.

• Bailey is quite smart. He can’t see very well, but he doesn’t let that stop him! He loves to read and do everything that Rosie does, including putting on the plays they make together. According to Rosie, he is not pushy, not mean, not selfish, at least not usually. Sometimes Bailey can be a little sensitive, but he’s very understanding.

Likes:

• Rosie likes many things. She loves to put on plays, visit the zoo and the park, always with her best pal Bailey by her side. But she also loves spending time with Granny Torrelli, helping her cook and telling stories.

• Bailey likes the same things that Rosie likes. He even likes to spend time cooking with Granny Torrelli too, whom he also loves. He likes to read books and stories using Braille, a system of touch reading and writing for blind people.

Notable Quote:

• Bailey: not in a mean way, but in a kidding way - “Rosie, do I have to tell you EVERYthing?”

• Rosie: “Yes, Bailey, yes, you do. Now what about it?”

Rosie and Bailey don’t have the perfect relationship all the time, but they sure are a wonderful pair. Are you excited to find out what happens with Rosie and Bailey, Granny Torrelli, and even the new girl in town, Janine? Keep on reading, and drop a comment on the Flipgrid page for your read! See you soon!