Four Friends Together [Hardcover]

Sue Heap (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 2 and up

Fidgety little listeners will laugh at this lighthearted tribute to story time—and friendship.

It’s story time, and Seymour the sheep, Rachel the rabbit, and Florentina, the great big flowery bear, are waiting for Mary Clare to wake up and read to them. But first they need a place for Florentina to sit, and they have to find a way for everyone to see the pictures. Sue Heap’s simple text and childlike illustrations follow the humorous squirming and shifting of four friends who finally settle in for what they love best - a really good story enjoyed together.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Seymour the sheep and Rachel the rabbit are waiting for storytime to begin. Mary Clare, a little girl in a red dress, is asleep, sprawled across a large, overstuffed armchair clutching a book; she's clearly the reader. Then Florentina, a "great big flowery bear," arrives and suggests that they wait for the girl to stir. She tries to sit in Mary Clare's chair, but it's much too small. Fortunately, the child wakes up and begins to read. As the friends settle into their favorite chairs, however, they find that they cannot all see the pictures comfortably. The charming resolution finds the three snuggled comfortably in Florentina's lap in the big armchair. Heap's double-paged acrylic illustrations are gorgeous and fitting; a subtle palette of neutral and pastel colors creates a soothing background, keeping the focus on the four characters. There's plenty of whimsical humor in this slow-paced story, and it all works to bear out Heap's sweet message that sharing books together is a joyous experience. Toddlers and preschoolers will be delighted to meet these four lovable friends.
Marilyn Taniguchi, Beverly Hills Public Library, CA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

PreS. "It's storytime" are the first words in this charming picture book. Seymour the sheep and Rachel the rabbit are in their chairs and ready. A sleeping child named Mary Clare holds the storybook. Florentine the bear wants to join in, but she has trouble fitting into the last available chair. When Mary Clare awakes, storytime begins, but her friends insist they cannot see the pictures. Then comes a comical shifting of seats, until the four friends pile into the largest chair where, together, they can see and enjoy the story. There's a cozy feel about the book, with the whimsical story line and boldly colored illustrations adding a slightly jolly air: the sheep is striped, the rabbit has polka-dots, and the bear is covered in colorful, elegant flowers. The themes of friendship and the joy in sharing a good book make this title a natural for reading aloud, and even the littlest listener will recognize the anticipation and enjoyment that accompany storytime. Jennifer Locke
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 2 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Candlewick; 1st edition (July 14, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0763621110
• ISBN-13: 978-0763621117
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 0.3 x 10.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #164,974 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

After graduating from Hull College of Art, Sue Heap worked in animation and as a designer at several children's book publishers. Sue has illustrated over thirty children's books, including Cowboy Baby for which she won the prestigious Smarties Prize. She's lived in many places including Egypt, Germany and Singapore, and now lives in Oxfordshire.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly Recommended, a gentle book, whimsicallly illustrated, April 16, 2006

By 

A. Woodley "Patroness, Janeites, the Austen list" (New Zealand) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Four Friends Together (Hardcover)

I really didn't enjoy this book at first, it was given to us and I read it once and then sat it on the shelf and ignored it for several months. However My 4 year old found it and wanted me to read it again. It really grew on me the second time I read and after that I found I liked it more and more - and my kids love it.

It is a strange story, the illustrations are almost like Aldo only much much brighter. There is a real whimsicality to them. A sheep called seymour, a rabbit called rachel, a flowery bear called Florentina and a little girl called Mary Clare.

It is story time but Mary clare is asleep, so Florentina the bear trys to read the story, only she can't fit in the chair, so she says she will become smaller, Seymour the sheep asks when. Mary Clare wakes up and tries to read the story, but not everyone can see the story at the same time. So after trying various things Florentina says they should all sit on her and read. Which they do and they are four friends together.

The illustrations are just gorgeous, rich pastel colours, well drawn with lovely touches. Everyone matches their chair in some way. Rachel and Seymour hold their hands (hooves? Paws?) in really lovely gently funny positions. The expressions are lovely, and Seymour's ears are beautifully done to show his emotions.

The text is also lovely, some nice in-jokes for adults to enjoy along the way and also, if you want, to talk to the children about.

It is a nice story about friendship, turn taking and problem solving.

A good learner book too in many ways, simple words and concepts to follow along. Highly recommended reading, I will be getting more books from this series.