SIR TIM IS A LITTLE JEALOUS

A child worries that his friend is replacing him but discovers that friends can be shared.

Sir Tim, a white boy wearing a gray, visored helmet and a red cape over his crest-emblazoned sweater, is walking to the playground with his friend Sara, a white girl with blonde hair. When Sara sees her brown-skinned friend Max, she suggests they play together, and “before Tim can say anything, she’s gone.” While Max and Sara run from the swing to the seesaw to the grass having fun, Sir Tim watches them, with “a strange feeling in his tummy.” The text wonders, “Doesn’t Sara like him anymore?” Sir Tim tries stunt after increasingly daring stunt to regain Sara’s attention, but she’s “too busy laughing and playing with Max” to notice. When his final stunt ends with a big fall, Sara finally comes running. Tim reveals his worries to Sara, who assures him she can have more than one friend and he will always be her best friend. This Dutch/Belgian import presents a familiar scenario with a simple story arc and an unsurprising resolution that is almost too easy and, regrettably, seems not to encourage interracial friendships. The child-friendly illustrations use soft lines and smeared colors, with patches of red clothing on gray and green backgrounds. Best for the youngest audiences, this is an adequate treatment of the theme for those whose shelves lack it.

The story itself does not add much to the title and cover.