All Kinds Of Friends

Written by Norma Simon
Illustrated by Cherie Zamazing

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It’s a picture book extravaganza about friends. Staying just this side of too sweet, author Norma Simon and illustrator Cherie Zamazing explore a child’s world of friends. Children think about friends everyday and their ability to make and keep friends is a critical skill. But friendship is also something many of take for granted. Which is to say this picture book fills a need in the literature: a discussion of friends. Written in free verse, each section looks at different pieces of friendship. Friends do things together. Friends sometimes fight, but learn to apologize. While most of the sections are just skimming the surface of friendship, Simon spends several pages addressing how kids can remain friends with someone who moves away, including suggestions of writing, calling and Skype. She also talks about making friends in a new place. The whole book uses the second person “you” to address the audience, as in “When you go to a new place, where you don’t know anybody, and nobody knows you, it’s a hard time.” Fortunately, the writing is broad enough to include most readers — most of us have gone to a new place at some point. And, the pictures show kids of every skin color.

This book will work particularly well as a read aloud at the beginning of new school years, or new camp sessions, when students are feeling insecure. Or it can be read alone by students at or above the second grade reading level. Younger students will enjoy finding pictures of kids doing the activities they do every day. Parents and teachers can ask them, do you ride the bus like these kids? Do you ride a bike? Have you ever talked with a new kid at school? Did you make a friend?

  • all kinds of friendsTITLE: All Kinds Of Friends
  • AUTHOR: Norma Simon
  • ILLUSTRATOR: Cherie Zamazing
  • PUBLISHER: Albert Whitman and Company
  • REVIEWER: Amy S. Hansen
  • ISBN: 978-0-8075-0283-9
  • GENRE: Picture book
  • LEXILE: 530

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