Ways to Make Friends

August 1, 2022

PreS-Gr 2-A young frog offers earnest advice to anyone looking to make a friend. There's good advice ("Say hi to the shy kid who never says hi to anyone"); silly advice ("You can dress up like an apple or a pear and give away a pear or an apple"); and advice that is questionable at best ("When you are at your aunt's house, you can free a bird"). And if none of it works, the narrator suggests becoming your own best friend by learning a few ways to entertain yourself. By the end of the book, the narrator has indeed made a couple of friends, and the end papers show all the young creatures interacting happily. Comical illustrations just this side of surreal done with colored pens and digital colors show a skewed world with a diverse cast of animal (and insect and plant) characters learning to navigate new relationships. This is certain to spark lively debate at story hours. VERDICT Best when shared with youngsters along with a conversation about good and not-so-good ways to pursue friendship.-Mara Alpert

Copyright 2022 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from July 15, 2022
Friendship can blossom in unexpected ways. "To make friends you should sit under a huge tree," states an unseen narrator. And so, a young toad does, passing the minutes in the cool shade while waiting for a friend. Or perhaps rescuing a bee in a fountain might result in a new friend. So what if the insect is quick to anger? After all, "sometimes bees can be bad tempered." To make friends, consider saying hi 40 times to "the shy kid who never says hi to anyone," dressing up as fruit and sharing fruit, or even befriending a cactus that's "nice and calm and quiet" and a great secret keeper. And when the day grows long and fatigue sets in, spending time with oneself--to read, draw, imagine--is also rewarding. With all of these tips and more, this sublime picture book offers gentle guidance to all readers, from reluctant youngsters in prickly social situations to more experienced friendship seekers needing a refresher. Peppered among moments of pure hilarity and suggested creative outlets are nuggets of encouragement meant to bolster compassion. Featuring a cast of excellently depicted anthropomorphic animals, the colorful, buoyant artwork--predominantly in orangy reds and mint greens--impresses due to its flair and secondary details. (This book was reviewed digitally.) A refreshing, candid consideration of making friends with others at one's own tempo. (Picture book. 4-8)

COPYRIGHT(2022) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

August 1, 2022
Preschool-Grade 2 This whimsical playbook for making friends explores a universal theme in a humorous and appealing way. How can the little yellow-spotted frog find some new comrades? Sit under a tree and wait patiently for someone to come along. (Sharp-eyed readers will spot a small green snake curled up in the tree's leaves.) Other friend-making options presented to the frog: cut up paper dolls and leave them as presents in the village square, try saying hi at least 40 times to the shy kid who never says hi to anyone, or dig into a stranger's popcorn box at the movies (that might work). Or you can always be your own best friend. The folk-art style shows fanciful animal characters illustrated in vivid colors. Translated from Spanish, the South American style is enhanced by Argentinian illustrator Ruiz Johnson's depiction of the flora and fauna of desert and jungle, coupled with adobe buildings. In the beginning endpapers the characters are presented alone, and in the finishing endpapers, they all play with a friend--mission accomplished.

COPYRIGHT(2022) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

November 1, 2022
In this eccentric volume, Buitrago and Johnson provide suggestions addressing the titular theme. A guileless, wide-eyed frog in black coveralls performs each of the actions, some being generally straightforward ("Sit on a park bench and cut out paper dolls. Leave them as presents all over the place") and others more situational ("When you are at your aunt's house, you can free a bird," i.e., her pet. "It will always remember you"). Cheerful optimism abounds, with occasional welcome hints of pragmatism: "If you find a bee splashing in a fountain, help it out...If it gets angry...just run away. Anyway, what friend doesn't get cranky sometimes?" Every creatively interpreted spread, in subdued hues with rounded shapes and tidy black outlines, is chock-full of friendly-looking, personality-filled creatures of many different species -- potential pals, all. And introverts, take heart. The best and most self-empowering advice for those who find themselves depleted after a long day of socializing appears at the end: "But if by late afternoon you get tired of making friends, just be by yourself and forget everything that this book has told you to do...learn to be your own best friend." Elissa Gershowitz

(Copyright 2022 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

July 1, 2022
In this eccentric volume, Buitrago and Johnson provide suggestions addressing the titular theme. A guileless, wide-eyed frog in black coveralls performs each of the actions, some being generally straightforward ("Sit on a park bench and cut out paper dolls. Leave them as presents all over the place") and others more situational ("When you are at your aunt's house, you can free a bird," i.e., her pet. "It will always remember you"). Cheerful optimism abounds, with occasional welcome hints of pragmatism: "If you find a bee splashing in a fountain, help it out... If it gets angry...just run away. Anyway, what friend doesn't get cranky sometimes?" Every creatively interpreted spread, in subdued hues with rounded shapes and tidy black outlines, is chock-full of friendly-looking, personality-filled creatures of many different species -- potential pals, all. And introverts, take heart. The best and most self-empowering advice for those who find themselves depleted after a long day of socializing appears at the end: "But if by late afternoon you get tired of making friends, just be by yourself and forget everything that this book has told you to do...learn to be your own best friend."

(Copyright 2022 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)