That Neighbor Kid

March 13, 2017
A girl with long braids and a neatly pressed jumper peeps over a fence at a boy who’s hanging upside down from an oak tree branch, reading a book. She keeps watching as he removes boards from the fence and climbs the tree with lumber, hammer, and nails. Timidly, she climbs up after him; he’s struggling with a set of plans. “Hi,” she says. “Hi,” he replies. The plans make sense to her, they set to work, and the pale gray paintings take on color as the tree’s leaves turn orange and gold. The two flick their brushes at each other as they paint; at night, their bedroom windows shine golden yellow, a completed tree house standing proudly between them. Several messages surface in Miyares’s (Bring Me a Rock!) nearly wordless story: two heads are better than one, quiet people who hang back often have hidden gifts, and making things together can build lasting friendships. Miyares sets this sensitively crafted tale in a nostalgic past when children’s lives were less scheduled and supervised; like the tree house, it’s a good place to escape to. Up to age 5. Agency: Studio Goodwin Sturges.

March 1, 2017
Two children build a treehouse and a friendship together in this nearly wordless story. A moving truck arrives and with it an industrious young boy who avidly reads by the backyard tree. Across several double-page spreads the neighbor girl covertly watches as he removes fence planks and builds a ladder up the tree with them. Cautiously she offers help, and with its acceptance, their world begins to change. Autumnal colors punctuate the once-monochromatic, gray palette as the two plan and create up in the tree's canopy. With the project near completion, a warm yellow glow envelops the laughing, chatting children, indicating the passage of time and the deepening of friendship. Miyares creates a distinctive style with his watercolor on paper. Very little if any apparent digital manipulation gives the artwork a handmade feel, well-suited to a tale about a lovingly handcrafted project. In the evening, the pale-complexioned children return to their respective homes, but as they wave from their windows to each other with their treehouse in between, it's clear more adventures and fun of their own making are to come. A timeless tale about backyard fun and friendship. (Picture book. 4-8)

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Starred review from March 1, 2017

PreS-Gr 2-The illustrations tell the story in this subtle, heartwarming, nearly wordless picture book. The tale opens with a moving van parked in front of a house, and readers see a boy sitting beneath a huge tree in his new yard, engrossed in a book called Living in Trees. His neighbor, a girl, timidly watches him, first through a window, then peering over the fence that separates their two yards. When the boy dismantles a piece of the fence and uses the wood to begin building a tree house, the girl takes advantage of the opening (both literal and figurative) to climb up after him and help. As in his lovely wordless picture book Float, Miyares's pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations rely primarily on a soft gray palette that quietly focuses the eye on the characters and their actions and expressions. As construction of the tree house progresses, the tree's foliage and surroundings take on color, including a brilliant yellow sky that complements the children's joy at completing their project together. From the beautifully constructed spreads to the perfect pacing and satisfying conclusion, this simple story of new friendship and joint accomplishment is a pleasure. VERDICT Highly recommended for all picture book collections.-Teri Markson, Los Angeles Public Library

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 1, 2017
Preschool-G A young boy wants to build a tree house. He reads up on the topic and gathers materials, but the project does not go well. Next door, a girl has been observing him. She gets her hammer and comes over to help, and by the end of the day, the two have become friends. Full-bleed, two-page spreads, wordless except for a simple greeting of hi, showcase the ink-and-watercolor illustrations. The pictures initially are black and white, but when the children decide to work together, the first spots of color appear in the tree's leaves. As the girl sorts out the plans and they start construction, more leaves take on colors, and the sky becomes sunny yellow. Although the children share juice boxes, the time period is vague, and the other images have an old-fashioned flavor. The final spread echoes the beginning, showing the children waving good night from windows in their houses, the tree house now finished in the yard between them. A gentle story of friendship and cooperation, elevated by appealing visual detail.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)