Not Friends
Published on 5. October 2017
Book
Hardback
32 pages
978-1-77278-026-0 (ISBN)
Description
Giraffe and Bird are not friends. Not even a little bit. The bird pesters the giraffe with his face-making, feather-pruning, and disgusting eating habits. The giraffe annoys the bird with his bad breath, ear-swatting, and lack of respect for personal space. Of course they are always fighting. Of course they would be better off without each other. Except, it turns out, maybe they wouldn't be.
With bold acrylic illustrations, expressive word play, and laugh-out-loud storytelling, award-winning author-illustrator Rebecca Bender delivers an odd-couple tale that is anything but your average friendship story. Satisfyingly un-sweet and uproariously irreverent, Not Friends invites thoughtful discussion about children's relationships with each other-though first you'll have to wait for the giggling to stop.
With bold acrylic illustrations, expressive word play, and laugh-out-loud storytelling, award-winning author-illustrator Rebecca Bender delivers an odd-couple tale that is anything but your average friendship story. Satisfyingly un-sweet and uproariously irreverent, Not Friends invites thoughtful discussion about children's relationships with each other-though first you'll have to wait for the giggling to stop.
Reviews / Votes
About Not FriendsSTARRED REVIEW "Many children's books deal with the occasional conflict between friends, but this is a fresh, lively addition to the pack. From the spotted end pages on, we are up close and personal in Giraffe's and Bird's world, which is full of clouds, telephone wires, and TENSION....Sentences are short and in the present tense with verbs often in bold. The lack of background detail accentuates the actions and the warm browns and blues of the illustrations will reassure readers that this conflict might not be as bad as they think. In the end, we are reminded that actions speak louder than words."-Booklist Starred Review
"A charming friendship story with spare, witty text and that packs a visual punch....Vivid, textured illustrations add an extra level of hilarity to the story in a cartoon-style layout that will appeal to pre-readers looking for visual clues for comprehension. This story will ring true for young readers familiar with playground politics and shifting friendships."-Kirkus Reviews
"A sweet, silly captivating story with fabulous illustrations suiting the personality of each perfectly. A winner!"-Youth Services Book Review
"This is a hilarious book that speaks to the difficulties of relationships and the need for accepting differences in one another. This book would be a jump-start to discussions a teacher or a parent could have with children about friendship. From a literacy standpoint, I liked the variety of language used and the bold printed words in each sentence."-Youth Services Book Review
"A fun story of a tumultuous and questionable friendship emerges, offering a refreshing and satisfying alternative to the usual child's easy story of uncomplicated relationships."-Midwest Book Review
"Not Friends is a brilliantly executed picture book...Whimsically funny and thoroughly entertaining from cover to cover, Not Friends is especially recommended for family, daycare center, preschool, elementary school, and community library picture book collections."-Midwest Book Review
"Large humorous illustrations capture the give-and-take drama..."-Vermont Country Sampler
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Toronto
Canada
Target group
Children/juvenile
US School Grade: From Preschool to Kindergarten, Interest Age: From 3 to 5 years
Product notice
Reinforced binding
With printed dust jacket
Illustrations
Illustrations, color
Dimensions
Height: 271 mm
Width: 222 mm
Thickness: 9 mm
Weight
436 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-77278-026-0 (9781772780260)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
New editions
Persons
Author/Illustrator Rebecca Bender is best known for her award-winning Giraffe And Bird books. Her other publications include How Do You Feel? and Peach Girl (illustrations). Rebecca graduated from the Ontario College of Art and Design with the medal for illustration and is now an art director and designer. She lives in Burlington, Ontario, with her husband and three children.
Author/Illustrator Rebecca Bender is best known for her award-winning Giraffe And Bird books. Her illustrations also grace Slug Days, Penguin Days, and Peach Girl. Rebecca graduated from the Ontario College of Art and Design with the medal for illustration and is now an art director and designer. She lives in Burlington, Ontario, with her husband and three children.
Author/Illustrator Rebecca Bender is best known for her award-winning Giraffe And Bird books. Her illustrations also grace Slug Days, Penguin Days, and Peach Girl. Rebecca graduated from the Ontario College of Art and Design with the medal for illustration and is now an art director and designer. She lives in Burlington, Ontario, with her husband and three children.