UNLIKELY FRIENDS

An alligator introvert and a boisterous blue songbird build a new friendship.

Ally, a bright green alligator, enjoys a life of solitude in the clear blue swamp. This peace and quiet, however, is upended when extrovert Beak moves into the neighborhood. A “Yellow-Bellied Fee Boo bird,” Beak was “born to sing” and is delighted to have someone new to befriend—whether Ally wants to be befriended or not. Although they agree that their only commonality is that they “were both hatched from eggs,” Beak is sure they should be friends. When his newly built nest—and nest-warming party—is hijacked by a “Long-Billed Party Pooper,” an antagonistic gray bird, Ally decides to stand up for Beak and intimidate the Party Pooper into scramming. Beak’s steamrolling of the unwilling Ally is played up for humor, but readers with strong social-emotional skills may find themselves made uncomfortable by Beak’s unwillingness to take no for an answer. Feuti’s art is bright and expressive. Clean lines, plenty of white space between panels, and a clear narrative arc with three short chapters make this a solid choice for emerging readers.

This series opener is cute, but it delivers a dubious message on boundaries.