I just ate my friend

This concise tale opens as an unidentifiable creature sorrowfully admits to having eaten his friend. No matter he approaches a sequence of other, mostly unidentifiable creatures in search of a new friend. The others reject him for being, in succession, too big, too small, too scary, too slow. He moves on quickly, especially after one creature bares a large mouth of teeth. Eventually, he finds a suitable friend one who closely resembles him only to be eaten himself. At first glance, the minimalism coupled with the spare style of the artwork and the distinctive brand of dark humor might cause one to mistake this for a work by Jon Klassen. However, debut author-illustrator McKinnon's richly colored characters pop out from the stark, lightly speckled black backgrounds, lending them a quality both unique and appealing. A book about devouring and being devoured could terrify, but here the characters even the toothier fellows are more cuddly than fearsome, so the humor shines through. This will surely illicit reactions from the intended audience about the proper treatment of friends.--Randall Enos Copyright 2018 Booklist

On the spur of the moment, anyone can make a mistake.In a twist on Eric Carle's classic Do You Want to Be My Friend? (1971) and the many like-themed quests trailing in its wake, a suddenly friendless yellow monster makes the titular confession, mourns, and then goes in search of a new companion. Following a string of refusals that range from "No, you are too big," and "No, you are too scary" (not to mention a terse "No") to a terrifying, page filling "Rrrooar!" the monster begins to lose heart. Will it be lonely forever? But, no fears, a suitable (teal) candidate sidles up at last: "Hello! I will be your friend." Cue the warm smiles and clasped paws…until a page turn reveals only the new arrival, guiltily admitting, "I just ate my friend." Arranged in simple compositions and positioned for maximum comic effect, McKinnon's monsters don't look at all feral (although the protagonist does have a mouthful of sharp teeth, they are very tiny, commanding much less attention than its large, googly eyes and potato-shaped body), so the summary fate of the yellow one may come as a surprise (at least the first time through) to audiences who expect a more-conventional ending. Readers who prefer their comedy on the dark side à la Jon Klassen's I Want My Hat Back (2011) or Jeanne Willis and Tony Ross' Tadpole's Promise (2005) will relish this alternative outcome.Gives "friend" a disquieting nuance. (Picture book. 5-7)