A Better Best Friend
Age 3+
Picture Storybooks Animal Stories
A feel-good picture book about best friendship told with dry comedy and an open ending—squirrel and mushroom are best friends until another best friend (a fly) comes to play.
“This morning when I was out walking, I found a best friend. At least I think so. It certainly looks a lot like it! He really has a best friend kind of face.”
In this comedic picture book exploring a forever childhood question about friendship, squirrel and a mushroom explore the forest through the seasons, show each other special trees, build snow mushrooms, share the good times and bad—which become good bad times alongside a friend.
Then spring arrives, and so does a new friend. And then another. This raises a profound question for an overthinking squirrel: should we have just one best friend?
After much drama, Squirrel doesn't find an answer—the friends keep coming—and he ends the book with at least three better best friends.
"This book is adorable!" Youth Services Book Review, starred review.
"Without shying away from the difficult-to-manage emotions of older siblings when a baby joins the family, this picture book sensitively portrays a child’s mixed feelings, which gradually, convincingly shift toward contentment." Booklist
Creators
Olivier Tallec was born in Brittany, France. After graduating from the École Supérieure d’Arts Appliqués Duperré in Paris, he travelled extensively and now lives and works in Paris. He has illustrated over 60 books for children.
Reviews
This book is adorable! The illustrations are endearingly simple and humorous, rendered in forest colors of green, brown, orange (squirrel) and mushroom beige… This would be a perfect addition to a friend-themed storytime.
Youth Services Book Review, Starred Review
Without shying away from the difficult-to-manage emotions of older siblings when a baby joins the family, this picture book sensitively portrays a child’s mixed feelings, which gradually, convincingly shift toward contentment.
Booklist
A humorous tale dealing with a concern many children have, this book offers a solution in a gentle way, showing them what friends do together, how one friend may offer different experiences than another, and that friends need to be together to nurture their friendship.
ReadPlus
This is a beautifully gentle book celebrating friendship, childhood, wonder and whimsy, as well as imagination and the ways we can learn to deal with what life throws at us every day, however old we are.
Ashleigh Meikle
This is a delightful book that will become a firm favourite on both school and family bookshelves.
Magpies
