Best Frints at Skrool by Antoinette Portis is the sequel to her Best Frints in the Whole Universe. In this picture book two alien children on the planet Boborp are best frints/friends who act a lot like human kids. “On Boborp, sometimes frints use words in ways that aren’t so frintly.” The text often implies harmony but the illustrations and dialog may present a more lively view. The text is just simple enough for even the youngest listeners and the most tongue-tied readers to understand the aliens’ words through their context and through the illustrations.  For example, the best “frints” share their lunch food through a “spewd flight”, and some “stroodents” need to spend time by the Quiet Wall. The author/illustrator who gave us Not a Box and Not a Stick knows how to think outside the box and create a lot of fun with a little imagination. The book’s bold green, orange, pink, and purple artwork outlined in black against white backgrounds was created using pencil, charcoal, and a tablet. Without being didactic, this book reinforces the fact that best friends are not perfect, just like on planet Earth.  Children ages 5 through 8 will enjoy this funny look at school life and friendship.

Highly recommended by Margy Soule, Coffin Elementary School in Brunswick, Maine