The Very Best of Friends [Paperback]

Margaret Wild (Author), Julie Vivas (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 28, 1994 | Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: K and up

When her husband, James, dies suddenly, Jessie neglects William, James’s beloved cat. Then she realizes how lean and mean William has become without affection and that she needs his friendship, too. “This winning story stands among the growing number of picture books using country life as a metaphor and as a setting for playing out fundamental human experiences and dilemmas.”-The Horn Book

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

James and Jessie, a farm couple, share a life of happy companionship. When James dies unexpectedly, Jessie withdraws in grief, shutting out everything and everyone, including James's dearly loved cat, William. Unattended, William grows "mean and lean," and one day scratches Jessie. Thus startled back to reality, Jessie undertakes to win William's trust and affection, with favorable results. Children will be quick to figure out the underlying theme here--that friendships need careful tending and generous amounts of love. The poignant tale is superbly told by Wild ( Mr. Nick's Knitting ), who achieves an enviable balance of detail and simplicity. Vivas's pictures are a perfect complement: her ragtag characters and soft watercolors capture the essence of an affectionate marriage in the way James's hand rests fondly on his wife's slipper, and the pathos of death in the scene where the ambulance carrying James pulls away, leaving Jessie and her pets standing in stunned silence. This is a moving story by a gifted Australian duo. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

Grade 2-3-- A story about relationships, love and loss, survival and recovery. James and Jessie are a farm couple, childless and of indeterminate age. Jessie merely tolerates William, James' beloved cat. On the other hand, William and James spend their days together, "the very best of friends." "Then one Sunday morning James died suddenly." In her grief, Jessie quite literally shuts William out, spurning all his efforts to help. He grows "mean and lean, and he hated everything and everyone." (On the accompanying double-page spread he bares teeth and claws, and hisses, scruffy and ferocious.) William finally gets Jessie's attention when he scratches her. She opens the door, apologizes, and starts to let William take James' place (as she takes James' place for him). William concludes that Jessie is "beginning to love him a lot." Vivas doesn ' t prettify the plain people or the uncuddly animals, but her romantic palette washes the horses in violet and the trees in tender jade, underscoring the sentimental side of this down-home, down-under tale. Despite the happy ending, this is not a "cute cat" story, and some readers may find the undisguised depiction of grief and the rejection of the cat (a child-surrogate) disturbing. --Patricia Dooley, Univ . of Washington, Seattle
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Sandpiper (February 28, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0152000771
• ISBN-13: 978-0152000776
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 8.6 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,070,341 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Touching and Funny!, May 8, 2002

By 

Tracy Robert (Albuquerque, NM United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Very Best of Friends (Paperback)

"The Very Best of Friends" is illustrated by Julie Vivas. Her watercolor paintings of round, warm people and friendly animals grace such books as "Wilfred Gordon MacDonald Partridge", "I Went Walking", and "I Went Visiting". "The Very Best of Friends" is about a quirky older farm couple (Jessie and James) and James's cat, William. Jessie tolerates William, who is James's best animal friend, until James dies. James's death takes a hard toll on both Jessie and William, until Jessie sees what she must do in order to finally go on with her life. "The Very Best of Friends" is filled with a humor that even adults will laugh at and quality illustrations everyone will enjoy.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It touched me personally, October 1, 2007

By 

Gail B. Beebe "giapet" (Denver, Colorado USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Very Best of Friends (Library Binding)

After my husband died, I was alone except for his little Papillon dog and my own dogs and cats. I ignored his dog. She was so sweet to me but I never appreciated her. Until I read this book. It was just a book I was going to sell but I loved the cover. I read it and broke into tears before I could finish. I struggled through the story. . .I looked down through my tears and saw a sweet little face begging for attention. I picked her up and she licked my tears away. That was 8 years ago. We are the Best of Friends.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A feel good story!, January 25, 2000

By 

auntyMEL - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Very Best of Friends (Paperback)

This is one of my favourite children's titles. Margaret Wild's story and Julie Vivas' illustrations will really touch you. The farmer's death is very subtle, there are many areas were further discussion could lead. This is a story to read to all children. If you are a farmer, if you are a cat lover, if you are a wife, if you are a husband... you will love this book too.