Friends (1997)

       Friends, written and illustrated by Helme Heine, is a carefree tale of friendship. This book celebrates diversity in peer relationships and joy in outdoor play as a bird, rodent, and pig frolic in the countryside. Some readers may appreciate that Charlie Rooster sports a tail of many colors. One scene has a contemporary lesson—What is fair?

     "They went looking for cherries. They shared them: some for Johnny Mouse, some for Charlie Rooster, and twice as many for fat Percy." Equity versus equality is a topic to talk about, even with little ones.  

      After reading this book, children may draw their own experiences of fun on the playground, at the community center, or in the neighborhood. Adults can facilitate conversation about what it means to be a friend.

      Nancy Wilcox Richards has a Friendship Activity with Emergent Reader activity to teach positive social skills. Mrs. J's Rockin' resources has a simple  Good Friends activity in which children color in characteristics of a good friend versus a bad friends.  My Picture Book Talk for this story is here.