In a collection that celebrates loving friendship, Brown artfully captures the comforting, sometimes odd moments of true affection.
Each of the 14 poems dabbles in a bit of wordplay while experimenting with varied compositions of rhyming couplets. The qualities of best friends are the dominant theme: “If someone makes a crack / or puts me down, / you back me up / and stick around. / Always there / when I get in a tangle. / I lean on you / at a steep angle….” In the title poem, two guys liken themselves to silly pairings: “We go together / like fingers and thumbs. / Basses and drums. / Pastries and crumbs. / We go together / like apples and plums. / Molars and gums. / Genuine chums.” Flat acrylic illustrations not only supplement the text, but add to the quirky humor. For all the admirable qualities found within, this will probably have limited appeal due to the less-than-scintillating subject matter, and given the small trim size, sharing with a group will be challenging.
Consider giving as a gift for a special pal. (Picture book/poetry. 5-8)
