WHAT FRIENDS DO BEST

An industrious cat learns valuable lessons about friendship and teamwork. After making a car for himself, a boat for his mouse friend, Alice, and a motorbike for his dog friend, Ralph, self-reliant Winston yearns to “build something BIG!” He ignores the offers of help from his two friends—“I can do it myself”—and proudly shuts himself up in his workshop. But Winston and the reader soon learn the value of collaboration. He hits stumbling blocks and despairs; all seems lost. Only his friends can save him—and they do. Together, the trio builds an awesome rocket ship. The last illustration shows them happily soaring through space inside their creation. Reed’s offbeat illustrations feature a plethora of quirky shapes, funny details and an attractive palette of secondary colors: orange, turquoise, chocolate brown and lavender. A gentle, upbeat fable that should delight very young audiences and the adults who read it to them. (Picture book. 3-6)