Will I Have a Friend? [Paperback]

Miriam Cohen (Author), Lillian Hoban (Illustrator)

Book Description

Library of Congress Children's Book of the Year

When Pa was taking Jim to school for the first time, Jim said, "Will I have a friend at school?" "I think you will," said Pa.

But even his father's gentle reassurance doesn't make Jim feel any better. The other children in kindergarten are scary strangers to him. He's sure that he'll never find a friend...until naptime, when he discovers someone who feels the way he does.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Miriam Cohen’s timeless story of a boy going to school for the first time is updated with new pictures by Ronald Himler. The text is tweaked in minimal ways (adding some confusion as to whether Jim’s father is called Pa or Dad), but otherwise the story remains the same. Jim still worries about having a friend until the afternoon when Paul shares his truck. It is the art that is fresh and new. While Lillian Hoban’s illustrations for the original included children of color, the printing process of the time limited the color palette. Himler’s soft watercolors are more contemporary in look, with touches like a recycle mark on the trash bin. Bill wears a colander as a rocket man’s hat in the Hoban version, while he rides in a space ship model in this update. Both versions are great for combating the new-kid-in-school blues. Preschool-Grade 2. --Bina Williams --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Aladdin (August 31, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689713339
• ISBN-13: 978-0689713330
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 9.1 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #334,567 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #13 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Authors & Illustrators, A-Z > ( H ) > Hoban, Lillian
  • #52 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Ages 4-8 > Picture Books

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A classic that's still true today, August 16, 2000

By 

K. Bennett (Rolla, MO USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Will I Have a Friend? (Paperback)

For over thirty years, this book has answered one of a young child's most important questions about starting school: will I have any friends? Walking to school on the first day with his father, that's the question Jim asks. His father smiles down at him and says, "I think you will." Jim's a little intimidated at first. "All the boys were making noise. All the girls were laughing. Where was his friend?" Like my two oldest kids, Jim stands at the edge of the action and waits for someone to invite him to join in. It takes awhile. He hasn't found his friend by snack time. He hasn't found his friend by rest time. Where is his friend? After rest time, the boy who was lying down next to Jim shows him a toy truck. Jim promises to bring his toy gas pump. He's found his friend! I wish my parents had shared this is a straight-forward, slice-of-life story with me when I was a shy three year old starting nursery school. It wouldn't have made me more outgoing, but it might have made me a little less nervous.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An excellent book to help preschoolers with friendships., May 27, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Will I Have a Friend? (Hardcover)

This is a great book for preschoolers about making friends. I thought the scenario was very similar to what many preschool children encounter when they enter a group of strange children and try to make friends. Jim wonders who will be his friend in his new school (which could also be a daycare); some early encounters with other children are disappointing, but eventually he forms a bond with another boy. This book can help three to five year olds anticipate social situations at school or child care.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars learning important social skills, October 28, 2007

By 

Cheryl "school counselor" (new york) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Will I Have a Friend? (Paperback)

nice book to read kindergarten students at the beginning of the year - the boy listens and watches and in the end makes a friend