CAN WE BE FRIENDS?

“Can you be friends with somebody who is…not at all like you?”

This cheerful account of surprising animal friendships assures readers and listeners that they can. The author/illustrator of Found Dogs (2017) and Mail Duck (2020) addresses a just slightly older audience with this simple but effective message. The stories of Owen and Mzee (hippo and tortoise), Kumbali and Kago (cheetah and puppy), Themba and Albert (elephant and sheep), Koko, a signing gorilla, and various kittens, and Ben and Duggie (dog and dolphin) demonstrate that friendship can grow unexpectedly. Each story is told in two double-page spreads. The first introduces the two animals with a pair of quatrains; the second poses the question “Can we be friends?” and answers it positively on one page. On the facing page is a description of the friendship, naming the animals and explaining where and how it happened. The final spread shows a child of color and a variety of animals, asking “Whose friend will YOU be?” Sirotich uses heavy black line to outline her cartoon creatures and their settings. The text is relatively simple, appropriate for fledgling readers to read with an adult or on their own. Some of these stories may be familiar; others, not so widely publicized. A glossary defines animal-related words such as “animal shelter,” “runt,” and “sanctuary.” The author includes a list of her sources and suggestions for further exploration on the internet.

Child-friendly and appealing.