This Story Is for You

February 5, 2018
Pizzoli’s ode to friendship stars a light-skinned boy and a dark-skinned girl with the same wide eyes, button noses, and big smiles. The words are the boy’s, spoken to the girl, but read aloud, they become the reader’s to the listener: “You’re the only one in the world with your eyes... your nose, your fingers, and your smile.” The two friends play together, sometimes on a theatrical stage with a tail-wagging dog, and at other moments in imaginary landscapes. What if friends are parted? The girl sails off to a new place. “You will meet some people and animals, too—But you’ll be the only one just like you.” The boy builds a boat and sets out to find her. Most of the spreads feature flat cutout shapes, but as the boy sails toward her, the neon-orange rising sun illuminates his face in a dramatic moment. The soothing, incantatory words repeat sentiments that are not new, but messages about unconditional love bear repeating, especially at the end of a long day. Ages 3–5. Agent: Steven Malk, Writers House.

May 1, 2018

PreS-Gr 2-Two young children, a white boy and a girl of color, describe the qualities that make each of them unique and the friendship that binds them. Pizzoli's cartoon illustrations, created with pencil and Photoshop, initially place the children on a colorful stage. Suddenly, the girl follows the fluorescent stars appearing on stage and travels "a long, long way" where, even amid the new people and animals she encounters, she retains her own uniqueness. She sends a message in a bottle across the water to the boy, and he sails away in his newly constructed boat to look for her. Joyfully reunited, they sail through a spray of fluorescent stars back to the stage. The illustrations are lovely and move from the stage scenes to spreads depicting the children's fantastical journeys. Alert readers will notice that some scenes and props the children create appear in their travels, while the color of the glowing stars is echoed in the moon, plant outlines, and even in some text. There is humor, too, via the dog that interacts with the kids both on stage, or in outline on yellow ground on a facing page, and in the title of the book the boy reads. The text, while often suitably childlike, sometimes veers toward more adult language as in "if I found you...I would...hold you, and smell you." VERDICT This additional purchase for group sharing may spark discussions about friendship and acceptance, but while the text comes satisfyingly full circle, it is sometimes jarring.-Marianne Saccardi, Children's Literature Consultant, Cambridge, MA

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 15, 2018
Two children quest while pondering the nature of friendship.Pizzoli literally frames his story by placing a pair of children onstage, drawing and constructing props together. These pages are steeped in retro aesthetic, all heavily bordered by decorated columns and curtains in persimmon and gold. Likewise the children, a white boy and young girl of color, look nicely vintage too, with large, rounded heads reminiscent of classic characters such as Crockett Johnson's Harold. After finding magical, Day-Glo orange stars, they exit the constraining stage, at which point their journey turns imaginary, and the illustrations deftly transition to expansive full-bleed spreads. Well-placed orange highlights, such as a luminous boat, guide the children through various adventures, and though these expeditions are undertaken separately, the friends are reassured that when the stars (both metaphorical and of the Day-Glo variety) lead them back together "after such a long, long time," there will be "a big, long hug." This narrative that muses about individuality, accepting others, and remaining close to friends is soothing and poetic, with words and phrases used repetitiously throughout. But the formality also feels incongruent with the playful visuals and approaches overt sentimentality: "I'll turn toward the light, and wave in the darkness to say that I know you."This pleasantly mild hero's journey is fabulous on the eye, but the narrative speaks more to nostalgic adults than children. (Picture book. 3-7)

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May 1, 2018
Preschool-G In this tribute to friendship, a light-skinned boy and a dark-skinned girl are close and enjoy spending time together drawing pictures, singing made-up songs, and writing letters to the moon. It's clear the two plan to be lifelong friends. If they are ever parted, the boy explains, he will search for her, and when she is found, he will tell her: You are my friend, and it's nice to know you. Large, clear, brightly colored illustrations, created using pencil and Photoshop, are perfect for one-on-one sharing and for storytimes. Much of the tale takes place on a theater stage with clouds, stars, the moon, and the sun hanging by strings. The blue backdrop, red curtains, and gold columns of the stage, as well as the characters, are depicted using simple shapes with crisp black outlines, similar to a coloring book but with the pictures already filled in. Large print, some repetition, and few words on a page make this a potential title for early readers to decipher by themselves.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)