A Friend for Bently

by Paige Keiser, Paige Keiser (Illustrator)

Overview

Meet Bently—one remarkable pig; and Daisy—the chick who loved him. Celebrate unlikely friends in this charming, funny picture book by author-illustrator Paige Keiser.

Like all pigs, Bently loves to play in the mud, eat slop . . . and do crossword puzzles! But Bently is the only pig on Sunset Farm, which means there’s no one to share his favorite things.

One day, a lonely Bently hears an oink and discovers an unexpected companion—a chick named Daisy. Soon an extraordinary friendship blossoms. But what happens when a best friend grows and changes? As young Daisy becomes like the other full-grown chickens, Bently is surprised with the most caring gift of all.

Fans of Stick & Stone and Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type will cherish this tale about the power of true friendship.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062643322
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	08/06/2019
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	1,078,819
Product dimensions:	10.10(w) x 10.10(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

Editorial Reviews

2019-04-10
A lonely, crossword-loving pig finds an unexpected friend in a baby chick.

This heartfelt story shares the joy of easing the loneliness of another. Bently is the one and only pig on Sunset Farm. Although Daisy is not introduced until Page 7, readers will see Bently through her eyes. Noticing that the other farm animals do not care for his piggy ways, Bently rejoices when he hears a faint "Oink!" coming from the meadow (hand-lettered onto the white space of the page). But it is not a pig but little chick Daisy, pretending to be a pig: "They have way more fun." Bently's disappointment is transformed as he teaches his new acolyte porcine habits: to roll in mud, to prefer slop over worms, and to solve crossword puzzles. Keiser's cheery watercolors are outlined with sketched pencil markings, and the double-page barnyard spreads are calming, keeping the story light and approachable. Yet with scant transition, Daisy grows out of her piggy ways. With intended compassion, she wins Bently a replacement friend in a crossword-puzzle contest. This emotional complication can prompt discussions around kindness and outgrowing a friendship. But the worrying issues of commodifying friendship and staying with one's own kind are equally present. The pacing and text, unfortunately, leave open a wide range of interpretations.

While comforting to some, this well-intentioned story with engaging illustrations may prompt questions from others. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews