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A REAL FRIEND

A feel-good read about a friendship that feels real, indeed.

Two friends feel and then heal a rift.

Benny, who presents as White, and Max, who presents as Black, are best friends. Opening scenes show them playing together at Benny’s house. Max seems to enjoy himself, but Benny grows increasingly annoyed by the lack of control he feels he has in their play. Finally, Benny grabs a gaming controller from Max because “Max [is taking] forever to play.” Max doesn’t take kindly to this act, nor to being told to go home. He leaves in a huff, declaring Benny is no longer his best friend. “Good! I’ll find a new best friend!” Benny replies. This “finding” involves making a new best friend named Jax, in a literal sense: Benny gathers boxes and other “odds and ends” and builds a robot who accompanies him in all the activities he once did with Max. Things work out fine until Benny realizes it’s boring to play with someone who never responds or does more than just sit there. In other words, he misses Max. On the penultimate spread, Benny puts Jax into his wagon and goes to Max’s house. His friend welcomes them and introduces his new robot friend, Lenny. All is forgiven, and the boys and their robots play together at book’s end. Cartoon illustrations largely reflect the text, the two boys’ expressions easy to read on their perfectly round faces. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10.2-by-19.6-inch double-page spreads viewed at 15.8% of actual size.)

A feel-good read about a friendship that feels real, indeed. (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: Nov. 10, 2020

ISBN: 978-1-60537-582-3

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Clavis

Review Posted Online: Sept. 28, 2020

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2020

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BUDDY'S NEW BUDDY

From the Growing With Buddy series , Vol. 3

Making friends isn’t always this easy and convenient.

How do you make a new friend when an old one moves away?

Buddy (from Sorry, Grown-Ups, You Can’t Go to School, 2019, etc.) is feeling lonely. His best friend just moved across town. To make matters worse, there is a field trip coming up, and Buddy needs a bus partner. His sister, Lady, has some helpful advice for making a new pal: “You just need to find something you have in common.” Buddy loves the game Robo Chargers and karate. Surely there is someone else who does, too! Unfortunately, there isn’t. However, when a new student arrives (one day later) and asks everyone to call her Sunny instead of Alison, Buddy gets excited. No one uses his given name, either; they just call him Buddy. He secretly whispers his “real, official name” to Sunny at lunch—an indication that a true friendship is being formed. The rest of the story plods merrily along, all pieces falling exactly into place (she even likes Robo Chargers!), accompanied by Bowers’ digital art, a mix of spot art and full-bleed illustrations. Friendship-building can be an emotionally charged event in a child’s life—young readers will certainly see themselves in Buddy’s plight—but, alas, there is not much storytelling magic to be found. Buddy and his family are White, Sunny and Mr. Teacher are Black, and Buddy’s other classmates are racially diverse. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Making friends isn’t always this easy and convenient. (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: July 12, 2022

ISBN: 978-0-593-30709-0

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Random House

Review Posted Online: March 29, 2022

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2022

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THE COOL BEAN MAKES A SPLASH

From the I Can Read! series

Another quirky take on the series theme that it’s cool to be kind.

The cool beans again step up to do a timorous fellow legume a fava…this time at the pool.

Will a rash decision to tackle the multistory super-slide lead to another embarrassing watery fail for our shy protagonist? Nope, for up the stairs right behind comes a trio of cool beans, each a different type and color, all clad in nothing but dark shades. They make an offer: “It’s not as scary if you go with friends!” As the knobby nerd explains once the thrilling ride down is done, “They all realized that I just needed some encouragement and support.” Just to make sure that both cool and uncool readers get the message, the narrator lets us know that “there are plenty of kind folks who have my back. They’re always there when I need them.” The beany bonhomie doesn’t end at the bottom of the slide, with all gliding down to the shallow end of the pool (“3 INCHES. NO DIVING”) for a splashy finale. This latest early reader starring characters from John and Oswald’s immensely popular Food Group series will be a hit with fans. Fun accessories, such as a bean who rocks pink cat-eye frames, add some pizzazz to the chromatically and somatotypically varied cast.

Another quirky take on the series theme that it’s cool to be kind. (Easy reader. 5-7)

Pub Date: March 26, 2024

ISBN: 9780063329560

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: Feb. 17, 2024

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2024

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