A delightful springboard to stimulate creative ideas and spark conversations about interpersonal relationships.
Friendship has many faces.
What’s a friend? This sweet, gentle look at friendships describes how they’re formed, developed, maintained, and/or lost. What’s interesting about friendships is how different they are: There are almost as many ways to describe friendships as there are people to create them. Friendships may be fleeting, but they can also “last a lifetime.” They can endure when friends are near or far apart. You can make friends with a sibling or even, wordlessly, with a pet. Friendships can end through words hurled at another in anger. Friendships evoke and test emotions, and they teach. The story, narrated in simple, warm, easily comprehended prose, speaks to children where they are and may provoke further discussions about friendship. The notions of imaginary friends and finding new pals because of shared, mutual interests will especially resonate. Children may also be intrigued by the possibility of friendships that might have been but never were, as in the illustration depicting two children staring at each other, one in a subway car, the other standing outside on the station platform. The final message is most reassuring: A new friend may arrive when you least expect it; just wait and “look closer.” The charming, colorful illustrations depict children who are diverse in terms of race and ability. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A delightful springboard to stimulate creative ideas and spark conversations about interpersonal relationships. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 6, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-66591-147-4
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Paula Wiseman/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: July 12, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2022
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share.
In this latest in the series, Little Blue Truck, driven by pal Toad, is challenged to a countryside race by Racer Red, a sleek, low-slung vehicle.
Blue agrees, and the race is on. Although the two start off “hood to hood / and wheel to wheel,” they switch positions often as they speed their way over dusty country roads. Blue’s farm friends follow along to share in the excitement and shout out encouragement; adult readers will have fun voicing the various animal sounds. Short rhyming verses on each page and several strategic page turns add drama to the narrative, but soft, mottled effects in the otherwise colorful illustrations keep the competition from becoming too intense. Racer Red crosses the finish line first, but Blue is a gracious loser, happy to have worked hard. That’s a new concept for Racer Red, who’s laser-focused on victory but takes Blue’s words (“win or lose, it’s fun to try!”) to heart—a revelation that may lead to worthwhile storytime discussions. When Blue’s farm animal friends hop into the truck for the ride home, Racer Red tags along and learns a second lesson, one about speed. “Fast is fun, / and slow is too, / as long as you’re / with friends.”
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 25, 2025
ISBN: 9780063387843
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A satisfyingly cozy winter holiday tale.
The protagonist of The Little Ghost Who Was a Quilt (2020) enjoys a “boo-tiful” holiday.
The titular spirit—comprised of a patterned quilt rather than a plain white sheet like his peers—loves drifting outside in the cold. His heavier fabrics may slow him down the rest of the year, but in winter they keep him warm enough to enjoy the outdoors while his friends remain inside. One December evening, while visiting the human neighborhood, he notices people singing and putting up twinkling lights (amid the Christmas decorations, one window features a menorah). The little ghost quilt is happy for himself but sad that his pals aren’t witnessing all this, too. The sight of a holiday tree inspires him: He’ll bring a tree to his friends! A branch that blows off during a snowstorm will do nicely. For ornaments, he uses odds and ends from the attic of his house. And when his friends arrive at his home that night, everyone decorates the tree together. The moon, peeping through the window and reflecting off a mirror from the attic, provides the glorious pièce de résistance: The make-believe tree glows brilliantly. This quietly lovely holiday tale underscores the true meaning of the holidays: friendship and togetherness. The illustrations rely on a muted palette with spots of vivid colors; like a quilt, they’re soft and delicate. Human characters vary in skin tone.
A satisfyingly cozy winter holiday tale. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Aug. 26, 2025
ISBN: 9781774885376
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Tundra Books
Review Posted Online: April 4, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
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