BEST BUDS

A plant-loving loner learns to branch out and make new friends.

Spencer is happiest with his plants. Though quiet, they’re good listeners, and he loves caring for them. When he moves to a new town, his family members urge him to try to make human friends, but Spencer’s not interested. One day, after pulling a wagon full of his planted friends to the large tree he often visits, he meets Daisy. She, too, has unusual, nonhuman friends, and the two quickly realize that Spencer’s passion for plants and Daisy’s love of insects make them a natural match. This sweet story is about more than just making friends; it’s a reminder that love and care take many forms—a message that will resonate with children who need a little time and patience as they attempt to forge connections with others. Spencer’s world is a colorful one, full of greenery, unfurling leaves, and bright flowers. His plants, a crucial part of the narrative, are as varied and full of life as the people in the book. Spencer and his mother are light-skinned; Daisy has brown skin and dark curly hair. Background characters vary in skin tone and hair color.

A tenderly told, touching friendship tale.