2 January 2023 FRIENDS by Daniela Sosa, Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman, September 2022, 40p., ISBN: 978-1-6659-1147-4
“Life is partly what we make it, and partly what it is made by the friends we choose.”
– Chinese philosopher, educator and popular lecturer Dr. Tehyi Hsieh (1948).
“I don't want to meet your kin
Make you spin or do you in
Or select you or dissect you
Or inspect you or reject you
All I really want to do
Is, baby, be friends with you”
– Bob Dylan (1965)
“You will meet many friends, and each friendship will be different.
Some friends are there from the start.
Others come exactly when you need them.
Some friendships last only a few moments.
Others last a lifetime.
Friends can be very close or far away.
Some friendships don’t need words.
Others begin with words
or end with words.”
Daniela Sosa’s poetic debut picture book FRIENDS is a lovely exploration of friendship, showcasing a diverse bunch of happy young characters.
They are friends...or almost friends. In a particularly poignant spread, a young boy and girl look at one another through the window of a train as the train is about to leave the station. The caption is, “Some friendships could have been, but weren’t.” The book also depicts friendships ending, an experience that humans of all ages occasionally suffer from.
FRIENDS will help promote kindness and friendship to the fives- and sixes- who are the prime audience for this great picture book. It can pave the way for classroom or home discussions about the pleasures and pitfalls of friendships.
Adults would be wise to supplement the book by modeling positive friendship behaviors and explaining that being good friends typically requires putting some time and effort into the relationship. Grownups can encourage children to speak respectfully and avoid negativity and rumor mongering. They can also teach valuable active listening and conflict resolution techniques.
So, let me give you some friendly advice: track down a copy of FRIENDS!
Richie Partington, MLIS
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