How to Help a Friend

HOW TO HELP A FRIEND is a sweet picture book about all the different ways to be a friend. The story suggests an individualized approach to friendship, listening to what friends need and all the different ways they might like to do things. For instance, some friends might like to write, others to read, and still others to watch TV. The illustrations capture a girl with many animal friends enjoying each possibility together.

What I loved: This is a really sweet rhyming book about all the ways you can help a friend by being there for them as they need. There are so many ways to be a great friend, and each friend may need something different. The text gives children many different ideas that add up to show that all our friends are unique and that's okay - we can be friends and enjoy doing different things together. The lovely imagery captures the imagination as the young girl is shown enjoying many different things with all her animal friends, adding a touch of whimsy and magic to the story. Soft colors and detailed images will give children much to explore on each page.

As a small thing, I also really appreciated the placement of word art in the white or light-colored areas of each page that made it easier to read in low light. For instance, on pages that are mostly dark, there is smoke or some other white feature in which the text is printed. This is really helpful to caregivers reading aloud at bedtime.

Final verdict: HOW TO HELP A FRIEND is a lovely picture book about friendship and being there for one another in individualized ways. The rhyming text and whimsical artwork will work well for toddlers and preschoolers.