MY BEST FRIEND IS A GOLDFISH

What makes for a great best friend?

The protagonist of this book says: “Best friends enjoy the same things. // They play together all the time. / And they always get along with each other.” But suddenly, the narrator, dressed as an astronaut, and the child dressed as a pirate the protagonist has been playing with have a falling out. Now the narrator must turn to animals to find the solace of similarity. Cycling through the family’s dog, cat, hamster, and goldfish as possible new best friends, the narrator analyzes their relationships, but in the end, they are all found wanting. Sniffing things and eating on the floor alongside Murphy might be fun, but the dog has his own canine friends. The goldfish seems to be a good companion, but in reality, Fishy Robert just swim and eats. Finally the narrator realizes that friends don’t always like doing the same things: even as “cookies and milk are different…they’re still perfect for each other.” When the protagonist’s original playmate walks down the street, they fall right into their old relationship and go play tag. The cartoonish digital illustrations dominated by bold, primary colors depict both children with pale skin. They extend the text amusingly, but this is a one-note book about friendship.

Better books about friendship exist, making this strictly an additional purchase