Button and Bundle

November 15, 2018
When Button has to move away from her best friend, Bundle, she finds a way to stay connected from afar, if only in her mind.Button, a white girl with long, reddish-blonde hair, and Bundle, a black girl with afro puffs, spend their days together, playing with their dolls, "weaving daisy chains, blowing wishes, and singing their song." Both girls are distressed when Button moves away. "Button didn't think they'd ever be happy again." Three spreads are devoted to this sad time, and Button's sadness is transferred onto her doll: "Petal wanted to stay in her bed....It was a lonely, blue time for Button and Petal." But one day, a yellow balloon "arrived with a song on the breeze," and Button uses it to send Petal off to find Bundle and Rose (Bundle's doll and Petal's best friend). She happily imagines Bundle receiving Petal and singing their song. Then, one day, Button is looking for fairies when she stumbles upon another girl looking for fairies "and friends." Leah, a girl with light brown skin and long, brown hair, gives Button a unicorn, and once again Button has a best friend, "singing a new song" without forgetting her old song and her old friend. The illustrations, soft and whimsical drawings done in watercolor and pastel with pencil, create a dreamlike quality for each stage of the story. Button's friends feel almost imaginary, which is somewhat troubling as they are depicted as girls of color, but her emotions feel very real.A (mostly) sweet story of friendship, letting go, and new beginnings. (Picture book. 6-9)

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May 24, 2019

K-Gr 2-Button and Bundle are best friends who love to play with dolls and sing together. In fact, even the girls' dolls are besties. One day, they learn that Button must move and the girls are deeply saddened. After arriving at her new home, a balloon arrives on the wind and Bundle ties a basket to it, sending her doll back to her friend, envisioning the joy it would bring her friend despite their distance. Gorgeous watercolor and pastel illustrations float across the page, including a ribbon of yellow and pink appearing in the sky, mimicking the movement of not only the balloon carrying the gifted doll, but also the song that connects the girls in spite of their separation. Button even teaches her new friend Leah the song and imagines it wafting to Bundle through the air. Small details in the background, such as a hand-drawn image of the girls playing taped to the wall, or small daisies the friends picked together really give the story depth. The feelings expressed by the characters are both real and relatable. VERDICT A great choice for any collection, this story offers comfort and solace to any young reader who has experienced the sadness of moving and separation, while simultaneously offering a sense of hope that distance doesn't mean they've completely lost a friendship and that there are always opportunities to find new friends.-Kaitlin Malixi, Kensington Health Sciences Academy, Philadelphia

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