When his best friend Raymond moves away, Gilbert, a great white shark, is terribly sad. He can’t stop thinking about him, and there’s nothing anyone can do to help. “Go and play tide and seek with the pilot fish,” says Raymond’s mother. “It will make you feel better.” Later, in a colorful full-bleed spread, crabs play catch, and Gilbert rides a sea-saw that dips under his weight. But when he meets someone new (another remora fish, whose best friend—a shark—has moved away), Raymond’s heavy mood lifts. He hasn’t forgotten about his old friend, but he’s happy to have a new one. Youngsters will sympathize with Gilbert, and take comfort in the outcome of Clarke’s sweet story, which she manages to tell with sensitivity and humor. (Picture book. 4-8)
