Friends

December 15, 2015
A little girl from far away starts her first day at school, but she doesn't fit in. She wants one friend to keep her company at lunchtime. Then one day, her delicious food attracts the attention of a squirrel, to whom she offers an ear of corn. They eat and play together, attracting the attention of a rabbit, who is invited by the squirrel to join them the next day. The rabbit then invites a raccoon, who invites another little girl. Soon, everyone is sharing and playing together. When a new student comes from even further away, he is warmly welcomed--and other new arrivals watch them hopefully. Ikegami uses a soft, fuzzy illustration style, relying on color to set the mood. She starts with icy white, warming up as she goes, and by the time the children and animals are eating and playing together, readers are treated to double-page spreads full of rich color. The words are sparse, with the repeated phrase "One day..." highlighting turning points, but the illustrations do most of the work of explaining first the girl's isolation and then the joy of being a part of the group. The protagonist eats with chopsticks and has long, brown hair; her classmates exhibit a variety of skin tones and hair colors and textures. The message of inclusion is often seen in picture books, but sharing food to make friends is a gentle suggestion that may help children starting school or meeting new arrivals with a language barrier. (Picture book. 4-8)

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February 1, 2016

PreS-Gr 2-Making friends is hard to do, especially when you are the new person at school. A little girl, arriving in a plane on the first page, is shown standing shyly next to her new teacher on the next, and from the illustration, readers can deduce that she does not speak the same language as her classmates. "She was different. And alone." The little girl longs for a friend to eat lunch with outside. One day, a squirrel scampers next to her, and she hands it an ear of corn as they sit on the bench, side by side. The next day, the squirrel is back-this time with an inquisitive rabbit, followed by a raccoon. Soon, another child quietly peers from behind the tree, watching the new girl and her animal friends eat lunch. She returns the next day with her classmates, and then, "one day...they all [stay] to play." A spread shows the animals playing ball with the new girl and her classmates. The story ends on a fantastical note, when another new student arrives, this time on a spaceship. The illustration mirrors the beginning of the story, when the little girl was standing in front of her new classmates. This time, the girl is shown sitting front and center, and standing shyly next to the teacher is a soft green, blushing space alien. "He was different. But he stayed too. And they all played." Ikegami's soothing water-washed visuals are soft and infused with pastels. The spare text lets the illustrations tell most of this tale of the importance of being kind and making friends. VERDICT Libraries will want to make room on their shelves for this "new kid" in the collection.-Lisa Kropp, Suffolk Cooperative Library System, Bellport, NY

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2016
A new student just wants "someone who could be a friend. Someone to eat with." First woodland animals, then other children join her picnic. When a spaceship shuttles in a new student, the class is ready to befriend this new, antennaed arrival. The alien metaphor is forced, and the inclusion message unsubtle, but soft, pastel-colored illustrations add a welcoming glow to the story.

(Copyright 2016 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)