Friends and Foes

June 15, 2018
Florian explores both the joys and conflicts of having a friend.Twenty-five poems are accompanied by childlike drawings using colored pencils and crayon on manila paper. Their scribbled nature instantly connotes a time when making friends is brand new and both difficult and thrilling by turns. Loose-limbed and energetic, Florian's friends of all ethnicities hug, stretch, and reach their arms out in hopes of reciprocity. Sometimes friends share everything: "We stick, we two, like glue, like glue. / We stick like thick molasses. / So close we are, we stick like tar / (and share one pair of glasses)." But other times, friendships fall apart: "We used to be friends. / We drifted away. / Will we get back together? / Well, maybe someday." Florian explores themes of jealousy, trust, and separation. Friends don't even always have to be human--sometimes they are imaginary, sometimes they are found in nature, and sometimes (as in a quick-witted reveal) they could even be a computer. Especially appropriate for a book on friendship, three poems are made for two voices to encourage reading together.Children are growing and figuring out who they are in relation to those around them; the direct, purposeful style of poetry lends itself nicely to navigating the many emotions of friendship. (Picture book/poetry. 5-9)

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July 1, 2018

PreS-Gr 1-What is a friend? Florian's latest poetry picture book brings children together to giggle, frown, and yell out words about friendship. The first poem, "What Friends Are For," is the perfect way to start talking about friendship with youngsters. Readers will laugh, sympathize, and relate to the verse that runs an emotional gamut from loss to new beginnings. The mixed-media illustrations are cheerful and bring each entry together with images of hearts and children smiling, hugging, and working together. Florian's use of bright colors in the background is delightful. Orange, blue, and yellow splash across the pages. Just like friendship, some of the poems are funny like "Give and Take," in which friends give each other things, including a cold. In "You're Not My Best Friend," readers will giggle at the prospect of being friend number 993. Young ones will enjoy this wonderful collection of poems about close friends or even a friend who-in the illustrations-drifts away. Opportunities for group readings abound with some poems incorporating more than one voice. VERDICT An amazing collection to read aloud and share with a group-add this new favorite to poetry shelves.-Paige Bentley-Flannery, Deschutes Public Library, Bend, OR

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 1, 2018
Grades 1-5 Florian, whose previous poetry collections have celebrated such varied topics as dinosaurs (Dinothesaurus, 2009), trees (Poetrees?, 2010), and pirates (Shiver Me Timbers!, 2012), here turns his attention to relationships. Many of the 23 rhymes pay tribute to friendships ( I Like You, The Fabulous Five, and Friendship Is a Flower ), but a fair number also observe relationship difficulties ( You Lied to Me, Billy the Bully, and Moved ). Several are designed for two voices ( Old Friends, I'm Better, and Opposites ), and almost all evince Florian's characteristic upbeat, humorous style. The artwork (colored pencil and crayon on manila paper) has a childlike feel, particularly in the backgrounds where crayon strokes are clearly visible. Florian also makes clever use of exaggeration to illustrate his points: for example, Old Friends who each know what the other thinks, are portrayed with beehive hairdos that connect. This will be welcomed by Florian's numerous fans and should also be useful for classroom character education discussions.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)