A FRIEND IS...

Thiesing’s simple offering joins the shelves of books about friendship.

While the text doesn’t stand out amid those crowded shelves, simply listing what friends are “for” (“singing,” “giggling,” “wondering”), the adorable illustrations may draw readers in. Anthropomorphized animal pairs, sometimes of the same species and sometimes different, show readers friendship in action. “A friend is… for listening, / sharing, // and for playing” is illustrated with three vignettes: a rabbit whispering to a clearly shocked pig, another rabbit sharing a wheel of cheese with a mouse, and a squirrel and a mouse flying a kite together. The final spread breaks the pattern with the hopeful but not necessarily accurate sentiment “A friend is…forever.” As the pages turn, children may notice the seasons also turning from winter through spring and summer to fall. Simple backgrounds with just enough detail to mark the time of year and activity keep the focus on the friends, who clearly care about one another enough to be fully present to each other through thick and thin, even when it might be tough (a cat listens patiently as a dog gesticulates while complaining). But while this might be a good reminder of what a good friend looks like, it likely won’t be one readers reach for repeatedly. (This book was reviewed digitally with 9-by-18-inch double-page spreads viewed at 36.5% of actual size.)

Doesn’t stand out from the crowd despite cute illustrations.