My Best Friend (Hardcover)

by Pat Hutchins (Author, Illustrator) "My best friend is coming to spend the night..." (more)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
The latest picture book from the creator of Silly Billy! and Tidy Titch offers a look at how the strengths and weaknesses of best friends tend to play off each other. Two ebullient African American girls demonstrate that someone who can run fast, climb high, untie her shoes and read books is certainly special. But being able to comfort a chum when she is frightened is equally important. Laudably, the girl who doesn't run fast or read never feels inadequate, nor does her best friend act superior. With their numerous homey touches, Hutchins's gouache paintings enliven the very slight text, making this a supportive slice of life. Ages 3-up.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
PreSchool-Grade 1-- What qualities make for a best friend? To the narrator of this book, they include knowing how to run, climb, and jump better than anybody else. The ability to eat spaghetti without dropping any on the table also helps. The two little girls appear to be about the same age, but their skill levels are quite different. One knows how to paint neatly, untie her shoelaces, and button her pajamas; the other does not. When the night wind blows the curtains, however, it is the less accomplished child who has the common sense and bravery to deal with the situation. The story is heartfelt and reassuring, and the friends gaze at one another with true affection and admiration. Hutchins's artistic skill is reflected in the juxtaposition of background scenes reflecting tidiness and chaos, but her depictions of the black children with their huge claylike heads and buck teeth are exaggerated and lifeless. --Anna DeWind, Milwaukee Public Library
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Greenwillow Books; 1st edition (April 15, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0688114857
• ISBN-13: 978-0688114855
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #211,554 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What friends are for, September 27, 2002

By A Customer

This is the first book my little daughter (3 years old) has borrowed from the school library. Only when I started reading it to her that I knew why she chose this particular one. Not only that the little visitor in this book looks very much like her, but that the story indeed echoes her much dear wish of having a very good friend of her own. I as an adult also enjoy this book very much. The two children are lovely. The story also reminds me of the fact that a best friend does not only set standard for you to keep up with, he or she will stand by you whenver you feel upset, frightened and frustrated.

5.0 out of 5 stars A Wonderful Must-have, April 19, 2008

By	C. Y. Wah (Hong Kong) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

My 23-month-old daughter just LOVES this book. We are asked to read this book from a few times up to a dozen times a day! Not only does it echo her desire to have a companion of similar age, the activities in the book are common enough for her to imagine herself as one of the characters. When asked which friend is she, she would inevitably point at the neat one!