WHAT'S THE MATTER, MARLO?

What are best friends for? Everything.

Marlo and the narrator are BFFs; they read, laugh, and play games, usually accompanied by Marlo’s dog, Hooper. Today’s different. Marlo doesn’t want to play and won’t explain. The protagonist knows something’s wrong and tells a joke to brighten Marlo’s mood. The ploy doesn’t work; in fact, Marlo gets uncontrollably angry and runs away. After searching, the narrator discovers Marlo, crying, and finally understands his overwhelming emotions without his saying anything: Observing Hooper’s collar hanging from a branch over a patch of newly dug earth, the narrator realizes that Marlo is very sad. Hooper has died—a point never actually stated; the illustration speaks poignant volumes. What can a best friend do except offer a tight hug, express sorrow, and cry together with him? This heartfelt story plumbs deep feelings with economic prose, and the expressive illustrations work wonderfully with the text. Marlo’s unarticulated but profound emotions are depicted via bold black scribblings and overwhelming, black backgrounds. Text in increasingly large fonts is incorporated effectively into some illustrations, as when the narrator frantically hunts for Marlo and shouts his name. Sharp-eyed readers will notice that the dog, seen through Marlo’s door in the opening spread, is absent following the setup pages. Both children are white, brown-haired, and attired in typical kid garb.

A sweet, reassuring validation of the power of a close friendship and empathy.