My Best Friend by Jillian Tamaki, Julie Fogliano
Published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers on March 3, 2020
ISBN: 1534427236
Pages: 32
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads

Young readers won’t mind that standard capital letters and punctuation aren’t used, but they will enjoy the reassurance of friendship; hiding, laughing, pretending. You don’t have to like the same things, and you don’t even have to know their name to be ‘friends’.

Illustrations capture the mood through facial expressions, various angles, and inclusion of images suggested in the text. For example, the child says, “…turn our hands into ducks and run away quacking…” and the picture shows them, hands in the air, running away from two ducks.

The colors, though, are limited to red and green hues. Some children may notice that the text describes the friend as having black hair but it looks mostly green. Near the end, the child narrator imagines the next day when they will write their names in red and green. Even without punctuation, the text flows, has natural breaks, and it pleasant to read.

A great story for pre-K and early elementary to open the world of possibilities when one thinks they have found a friend! Pair with any friendship books, including “We Disagree” by Bethanie Deeney Murguia (c2020) and start a discussion about finding common ground. 

Reviewed by Lynn Mayer, Retired Librarian, Old Town Elementary School, Old Town