Review by New York Times Review
WE ALL NEED A REMINDER of what the word "friend" used to mean before the social media era, when it signified a lot more than being a "follower." Four new friendthemed picture books offer a much-needed favor to humanity in reminding us of what it takes to find, keep and take good care of true friends. All of these may be referred to as children's books - but I beg to differ. These books have big messages useful for any stage of life. Being a twin myself, I smiled as I read the opening words of "Yak & Dove," written by Kyo Maclear ("The Wish Tree"): "If we were twins ..." Little Dove ponders this with her huge furry friend, Yak, with whom she is clearly, not even remotely twin-ish. As they begin to focus on how different they are, the friends drift apart. A long and funny search for a new friend ensues, aided by a matchmaking Marmot. Upon refining Yak's requirements for a friend, Marmot reveals Yak's ideal match, which is, of course (spoiler alert), his dear old friend, Dove. Every page of Esme Shapiro's art is suitable for framing. She has created a lush world inspired by the Central Asian region where yaks are found. There's a bonus story at the end of the book called "Yak and Quiet," a cautionary tale of how the "static" of technology can ruin the tranquillity of friendship. This really could have been its own book, but for the reader it's an extra treat. There's a similarly clever idea behind "Molly & Mae": comparing friendships to train travel. Some parts of the journey are smooth, but inevitably there will be rough spots. The sparse prose by Danny Parker ("Parachute") takes us on the sweet voyage of two friends riding the rails together, and riding out a disagreement. Young Molly meets another 7-ish-year-old, Mae, who is hiding under a bench in the station. They play and tumble around together, and by the time they board the train less than an hour later, they are friends "forever" - even when Mae gets "tired of being bossed around" and they exchange angry words. Their expedition takes them through what looks like English countryside. Freya Blackwood's ("My Two Blankets") wispy watercolors are luscious, dreamy and packed with detail. She missed an opportunity, though, to add some diversity to the crowds in the stations and the many passengers on the train. The book's world is weirdly white. Still, "Molly & Mae" shows us how a few kind words after a fight can build bridges and move friendship smoothly along the rambling rails of life. Two sheep, one a knitter, the other a reader, are living a quiet and idyllic life in a trailer in a field. But the cover of "Baabwaa & Wooliam" hints that there's trouble in paradise. Look closely and you'll see a wolf poking out of the nearby forest. Written by David Elliott (the Orq books), this hilarious romp shares a timely and powerful message - that even our enemies can become friends when we discover common threads and common stories. Melissa Sweet's ("Some Writer!") outstanding art is whimsical and playful. 1 can feel when an artist had fun illustrating a book, and I'm certain Sweet had a wildly good time bringing Elliott's words to life. While we see a lovely transformation in the wolf, who becomes quite good friends with the pair of woolly pals, his wolf instincts remain intact, and there are some highly entertaininscenes of Baabwaa and Wooliam being chased about the property. Elliott gives the tale a nice twist, showing the wolf ultimately becoming an avid reader. As a bookshop owner, 1 appreciate books like this that show how delicious reading a real book can be. That low-tech gospel is more important than ever these days, and so it's great to see that Nerdy Birdy is back - with a mission. This delightful sequel sweetly reminds us how tweets and clicks can drive wedges between us and creates an extremely connected universe at the same time. "Nerdy Birdy Tweets" will strike a chord with all those who have experienced how cellphones and devices have unraveled the fabric of relationships. Adults reading this book may even feel a bit uncomfortable, as the message will probably resonate more deeply with them than it will with young children. Matt Davies's wonderfully inky lines and wildly splashy watercolor images bring to life two unlikely friends - one a small bird and the other a very big vulture. The chuckles only increase as Nerdy Birdy's collection of so-called friends grows, until you realize that Vulture, a true friend, is not only being ignored, he is hurt deeply when Nerdy Birdy thoughtlessly shares something with his followers meant to be private between the two friends. Aaron Reynolds ("Creepy Carrots") has created an important reminder to cherish our real friends. Nurturing friendship, this book reminds us, takes effort that includes the urgent task of turning off all devices, with two exceptions: your heart and your brain. PETER H. REYNOLDS is the author and illustrator of many picture books, including "Happy Dreamer," "Ish" and "The Dot."
Copyright (c) The New York Times Company [April 7, 2019]
Review by Booklist Review
Molly spots Mae under a bench at a depot. While both are waiting for the train to arrive, Molly and Mae become fast friends. Molly's mom found them blowing bubbles together. / After that, Molly and Mae were stuck. Once their journey begins, the girls keep themselves active with their dolls, guessing games, their imagination, and annoying others a bit in the process. Then testy moments lead to anger, avoidance, and, eventually, boredom. Luckily, it's only a matter of time before they can be brave enough to build a bridge of friendship again. This halcyon tale neatly weaves together two journeys: a train excursion through the countryside and the ebbs and flows of a burgeoning childhood relationship. Parker's light, lilting text blends well with Blackwood's whimsical, multimedia scenes rendered in soft, sketchy lines and warm colors, which match the environment to the mood of the two girls and capture the seasons of these expeditions. This sweet story of the easy early bonds of friendship and the sometimes-challenging process of realizing differences would work for one-on-one or group sharing.--Lock, Anita Copyright 2017 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-Molly and Mae meet at the train station. "Molly found Mae beneath a bench. Mae found Moly in the newspaper shop. Molly's mom found them blowing bubbles together. After that, Molly and Mae were stuck." The train ride takes on a dual meaning and captures the details of a long rail trip but also characterizes the larger journey of friendship. The two get to know each other, board the train, spend a lot of time together, have a disagreement, miss each other, and then find their way back together. Through full spreads and spot art, the soft, sketchy illustrations use vignettes to tell the story while approaching scenes from a variety of perspectives-looking inside the window, looking outside the window, focusing in close-up, or examining a wider view-which helps to deliberately speed up or slow down the voyage and make pivotal scenes more poignant. Train signage throughout also creates relevant indicators to points in the girls' relationship: Journey, Signal Failure, Bridge, Tracks. "The journey stretched as far as they could see in both directions. There were hills and valleys, bends and straight runs, bridges and tunnels. And the train traveled on." When it does finally arrive at its destination, the girls pack up and depart together. Young listeners will find many details to notice wherever they are on their own early friendship journeys, and they also may discover a couple of ideas for passing time on a real train trip. -VERDICT A warm and lovely book for one-on-one and small group sharing.-Julie Roach, -Cambridge Public Library, MA © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Two little girls meet on a train-station platform and begin both a friendship and a journey; each one has its highs and lows. Sketched-in pencil lines give the pastel art a sense of movement and immediacy; the signs on many of the double-page spreads ("timetable"; "signal failure"; "destination") help keep readers connected to the two themes. (c) Copyright 2018. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A friendship is formed, nearly lost, and re-established on a long train journey.When blonde Molly and brunette Mae, both white, meet on the platform of a railroad station, they immediately connect. They play hide-and-seek, blow bubbles, and dance. When they board the train, they continue to play, sometimes getting rambunctious and annoying other passengers. All that closeness inevitably leads to conflict, and they turn away from each other as the train zooms through the timeless, vast, rural countryside. They cautiously restart the friendly atmosphere and enjoy the remainder of the trip together. Through all the action the girls' moms (also both white) are vague and passive, barely visible. Energetic language in the form of clipped, action-filled sentences announce the children's activities, and Parker further enhances the simple tale with lovely descriptions of the sights outside the train's windows. The inventive format uses railway-signage iconography to situate readers as the book progresses, beginning on the platform of their starting point. There's a timetable of the girls' games until boarding, and their argument is denoted as a signal failure. The illustrations employ windows and bridgesliteral and figurativeas visual metaphors, keeping a comfortable rhythm until the girls reach their unnamed city destination. Blackwood's softly hued illustrations, outlined in feathery, light-brown lines, fully illuminate the events with details only suggested in the text. Molly and Mae display every emotion with subtle changes of expression and body language. Lively and lovely. (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
