Bean and Ivy are seven-year-old girls, and Ivy, who just moved into the neighborhood, lives across the street from Bean. Bean’s mother wants Bean to become friends with Ivy. Bean’s mother thinks Ivy is a “nice girl,” but Bean thinks Ivy is “boring.”

Ivy wears dresses, but Bean only wears dresses when her mother forces her to do so. Ivy constantly reads large books, but hefty books make Bean “jumpy.” Bean assumes Ivy doesn’t like stomping in puddles or smashing rocks. Either way, Bean already has plenty of friends. Weeks go by, and Bean doesn’t play with Ivy.

Nancy is 11, and she’s Bean’s older sister. Nancy and Bean dislike each other, and their tension increases as Nancy goes through a “bossy” period. Regularly, she acts like she can tell Bean what to do, ordering her to comb her hair, brush her teeth, or stop eating pretzels.

Nancy, Bean, and their mother go shopping. Nancy likes shopping, and Bean loathes it, but her mother forces her to come. Nancy can’t decide if she should buy a $40 purple skirt with pockets. Bean wants her to buy it and calls her cheap for dwelling on the price.