* read with my service dog. * spoiler

He love friends and making new friends. We have moved a few times and he has to always make new friends. He loved this book because it showed him he can still make new friend. He alerted me when they became friends at the end.

Super cute! I love this story- showing kids how to handle tough or scary situations. This book is even better because it teaches kids on both sides of the situation what they can do!
The physical copy of this book has a spine on each side and opens in the middle for multiple reading experience options! Such a cool and unique feature!

This is a sweet story regarding a new friendship between Mae and Joe. It really is two stories that are paralleled together to give each child's perspective on the experience.

Joe is feeling nervous and anxious because this is his first day at his new school. He doesn't know anyone and he feels scared and alone. All the other kids have a blast playing together and having a great time but he is left out.

Mae, on the other hand, catches wind that there is a new kid coming to school and she pens a note to give to him when she finds him. She is so excited to meet him and make him her very own friend. Can you guess what might be in the note? Do you think that her random act of kindness will be accepted by Joe and give him a sense of belonging?

"A New Friend" is the next book in the "One Book, Two Stories" format. With this innovative format, two books, telling two different stories, are bound together. I love this creative way to tell a story. The stories can also be read side-by-side, as spreads from each book complement each other and are linked with corresponding page numbers. The final spread at the back of the book reveals a shared ending, in which Joe and Mae are united in the playground! The shared ending wraps everything up with a pretty bow. Pure genius I'd say.

This inspiring book may help soothe fears and anxiety and encourage kids to step out and overcome them. I love the fact that the book can be read in three different ways which means the story can be enjoyed again and again. The illustrations are colourful, expressive and enriching. I highly recommend this book.

Awww, this was so sweet!

Mae, who loves talking about space, has heard of a new boy joining her school today. She is determined to be friends with him. Joe, who has moved into town with his dad, is apprehensive about his new school as it always weird to find new friends. How will Mae and Joe meet? Will they become friends? (Yeah, you know the answer to that!)

The story by itself is lovely. Making new friends in a new school is never easy and the book highlights how important it is to take the first step in making a friend. The writing captures Joe’s insecurities and Mae’s determination so well. But there are two things that made the book stand out to me:
1. When I tell you that there’s a new kid in town and another kid wants to welcome him, I am sure most of you would picture the welcoming kid as white and the new kid either as white or coloured. So I loved to see that Mae was a Muslim (her mom wears a hijab) while Joe was a white child. Amazing decision to have this reversal of typical representation!
2. This is in the “One Book, Two Stories” format. Mae’s story comes on the left hand side while Joe’s appears on the right hand side pages. You can read the stories one at a time or both together. The stories complement each other perfectly without being distracting.

The illustrations are absolutely adorable and inclusive. The vocabulary level is apt for the target age group of 3-7 years.

Heartily recommended to homes, schools and libraries. You can’t miss out on this sweet little picture book.

4.5 stars.

My thanks to Quarto Publishing Group and NetGalley for the DRC of “A New Friend”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

What a wonderful lesson in empathy for young kids! There's a new kid in town and his story is told in parallel with the girl next door's as they both wonder about how things will change. Their concerns will be very relatable for young kids. Will he be welcome? Will he be nice? Can he make friends?

With the stories told side-by-side, readers can be encouraged to consider the situation from different perspectives and get a chance to try putting themselves in someone else's shoes. The illustrations are bright and vivid, and will definitely hold attention. They also feature a very wide variety of kids and families so lots of students have a chance to see themselves on the page. This would be an awesome circle time read as well as a good one-on-one book with a reading partner. It would be an excellent addition to school and classroom libraries!

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review!

A delightful tale exploring the challenges of finding a friend in the schoolyard. This is perfect for younger kids starting kindergarten or pre school. It is simple and effective in showing both sides of the story and each child's point of view. I think this is a book that kids will go back to again and again. Thank you for the chance to review this title.

What a beautifully illustrated and heartfelt story depicting the transition of moving to a new place and school as a child. This book could be used to help to ease such a transition for children experiencing moving house. I loved the dual perspective and narrative, which meant that each child's story could be read alone or in tandem, as it provided depth to the story, and made the reader root for Mae and Joe to become friends. I really appreciated the diversity within the illustrations as well as within the different familial structures both children come from.
What a lovely book all around!

This book was wonderful. I loved the color palette. It was calming and joyful. The story has a profound message, even for adults. It is delivered simply and organically. I also loved that both children both liked space and how that was shown on the page. I appreciated the first scene with everyone at home. The whole journey makes one yearn for simpler times of slides and new experiences. The only thing I would recommend changing is the font. It might be a bit small, especially if a kid is trying to read it.

<b> A New Friend </b> is a Children's picture book that a story about making friends even with your lives are vasty different on the outside.

The cover artwork is colorful and reminds me of Pixar/Disney in a way. I was eager to read the book.

Within the pages, the illustrations are really adorable and well done. The emotions of both sides of the story, as well as the characters shine through.

4 Stars. Would recommend. I enjoyed seeing the inclusivity of different cultures and also different types of families (single dads, etc). The imagination of certain parts of childhood was great, such as the slide turning into falling through space.

That being said, I do wish the text was a bit larger for my toddler to follow along as we read, as well as in some areas of the illustrations the black text can be difficult to read.

<b>Thanks to the publisher, Quarto Publishing Group – Frances Lincoln Children's Books, the author, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC copy to read and review. Review will also be posted to my blog (www.kagoodsell.com/book-reviews), GoodReads, TikTok (@unearthingeco), as well as NetGalley reviews.</b>

Nicely underplayed side-by-side exploration of Mae (who can't wait to meet the new kid) and Joe (who IS the new kid). Each is a bit afraid of rejection, but it seems to work its way out in the end.
Maddy Vian fills the pages with simple, colorful illustrations which add more meaning to this book.
The ending says it all. I loved it!
I requested and received a free temporary ebook from Quarto Publishing Group – Frances Lincoln Children's Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

I received an ARC of, A New Friend, by Lucy Menzies. Such a cute story of friendship between Mae and Joe. I really liked the illustrations too.

I received an electronic ARC from Quarto Publishing Group – Frances Lincoln Children's Books through NetGalley.
Charming story about meeting new friends. Readers meet two Mae and Joe on the first page spread. The book tells their stories in parallel as each starts the day with their family and then heads for school. Mae is excited to meet the new kid and Joe is the new kid. Menzies shows their thoughts and actions as they move through the day until crashing (literally) into each other. From there, a new friendship is launched because both were brave enough to take first steps. The brightly colored/highly detailed illustrations bring the characters to life.
Wonderful story to read early in the school year and as a refresher throughout. I appreciate the author modeling bravery for those who are new and those who can make someone new feel welcome.

This is the second One Book, Two Stories title that Lucy Menzies and Maddy Vian have created.
A universal topic of how it feels to start at a new school, and the worry about making new friends. The unique construction of this book means that you have a choice as to how you want to approach reading it.

Divided in half, you can open just the left side and read Mae’s story. Then open the right and read Joe’s. Or you can open both side together and read it that way. The illustrations for Mae and Joe’s stories are separate for the first 3 double page spreads, and then when they both arrive at school, they connect, so that if you are reading both sides at the same time, you will see the double page/connected illustrations.

It’s a very clever concept, and I think it will work very well when reading one on one with a child. It could be used to read to a whole class, but you would need an extra set of hands if you want to read both stories together.

I immediately read anything with Muslim representation so when I seen this book I had to read it.

This is so adorable! Loved how all the kids were different , which is very true to reality. Every nursery is very diverse. I loved the attention to details in the drawing especially the little girls hair!

I loved the duel pov is the kids and I absolutely loved how the mum was just in the back group doing her thing in her hijab and abaya. A lot of things will bring attention to her hijab like “ look a mythical creature” I love how this book shows kids that there’s different people everywhere x

Thank you NetGalley for letting me read this

ADORABLE! ADORABLE! Magnificently Adorable!
I'm a 20 year old who still loves reading children's books. And this here is the reason why.
The art is one of the most well done I've ever seen in children's books. The simple message and idea that, from it, this story was born is exactly what children need to read about. The innocence, simplicity and fun is definitely what made this story enjoyable.
It really shows the author put so much effort into this, because the subtle appearance of a Muslim mom is truly what representation is all about.
This Muslim mommy didn't add anything to the story, but with her simply existing there, and being taken the time to be drawn. It makes little me feel seen. That little kid back then, that had her mom, with a baggy abaya, pick her up from school exists and it's a normal thing.
Then, the idea with dual POV in a children's book was just lovely. I've never seen one like that before.
Because this was such a beautiful story I even showed this to my mom. She's a Kindergarten teacher and she loves these types of books, she completely approves of it and even said "The illustrations alone are captivating, so definitely the content is just as splendid"
A huge thank you to the publisher and netgally for an early copy of this.

I received an ARC of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a really cute little book about making friends for the younger crowd. Short sentences and big bright pictures add to the appeal for younger listeners and beginning readers. The only caution I would offer is that the story is told from two different perspectives, one sentence at a time. Know that going in will help!

An absolutely adorable read on how it can be scary as the new kid but also to ask to be friends with someone new. The illustrations are beautiful and diverse and I loved the wildly different representations of family between the two children!

I loved the previous book by Lucy Menzies and thought the format was really cool!
This one is told from the perspectives of both a new kid and a kid who wants to befriend them. I think this makes a great book that will help explain empathy to kids as well as provide help to a kid feeling shy after a move etc. The illustrations are lovely too! Thank you so much NetGalley and Quarto - Frances Lincoln Children's Books, I can't wait to read the physical copy to my kids when it comes out!

Social skills building made FUN!!

What a great way to learn about other perspectives and a fun way for young readers to learn about making new friends. It’s not easy making new friends in a new situation, and it just as tough to take the first step to making a new friend in a familiar environment. This book is a great for kids that may be changing schools, and it’s even wonderful for children to learn social skills on how to make friends that may be new to a school or after school setting.

The storyline is adorable and fun for young readers and the colorful, whimsical illustrations will surely keep a early readers attention.


Grateful to have received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley & Quarto Publishing Group

This is such a sweet story! It’s told in the same timeline from 2 children's perspectives and that is so unique and awesome! I like that it shows one child trying to make friends with the new boy who is sad and scared to be in a new school. I really enjoyed this and my toddler loved the story as well. The illustration is perfect for the story.

Thank you NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group – Frances Lincoln Children's Books for access to this digital ARC