My Friends / Mis Amigos

May 1, 1990
In this ode to everyday activities and things, a free-spirited girl hops, jumps and kicks her way across the countryside, paying homage to her friends along the way. Like a satellite launched into perpetual motion, the constantly moving child praises--among others--the rooster who taught her to march, the ant who taught her to explore the earth and the teachers who taught her to study. In spare, luminous landscapes, the minute world reveals a special beauty to those still and attentive enough to behold it. The activities depicted are alternately lively and quiet, but the prevailing mood is one of continuous celebration. Gomi's ( Bus Stops ; Where's the Fish? ) meticulous sense of design and careful use of brilliantly colored, highly delineated images imbues the story with a sense of the wonder and delight to be derived from life's simplest--but bountiful--moments. Ages 2-4.

June 1, 2006
PreS-Gr 1 -With no frills or fuss in either text or illustration, Gomi simply and elegantly describes the essential skills that a girl picks up as she navigates her childhood. A dog has shown her how to jump, a monkey demonstrates how to climb, a butterfly shows her how to smell flowers, and the rabbit, how to hide. Ultimately she works her way up to a school setting in which she learns from teachers, books, and friends. The English and Spanish texts (appearing on facing pages) are pared down to the essential words. Gomi -s pastel illustrations convey emotion and movement in a minimum of strokes and a handful of colors. Youngsters will enjoy reading along and mimicking the actions of the protagonist.

Copyright 2006 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.