Walter Had a Best Friend

by Deborah Underwood, Sergio Ruzzier (Illustrator)

Overview

From the bestselling author of The Quiet Book comes an honest and touching new picture book about the ups and downs of friendship.

Walter and Xavier are best friends. They do everything together! But then...quietly...slowly...Xavier becomes best friends with someone else. Walter goes from feeling hurt and left out to feeling confused and angry to feeling just plain lonely. Until one morning he wakes up feeling a tiny bit hopeful. That day, while out for a hike by himself, he meets Ollie. Could this be the beginning of a new friendship?

Sometimes best friends aren’t forever, and that’s okay. Because there might be a new pal waiting just around the corner.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781534477001
Publisher:	Beach Lane Books
Publication date:	10/18/2022
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	349,010
Product dimensions:	8.20(w) x 10.50(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	AD460L (what's this?)
Age Range:	3 Months to 8 Years

About the Author

Deborah Underwood is the author of numerous books for kids, including the Caldecott Honor book Outside In and the New York Times bestsellers The Quiet Book, The Loud Book, and Here Comes the Easter Cat. She lives in Northern California with her feline muse, Bella. Visit her at DeborahUnderwoodBooks.com.

Sergio Ruzzier has written and illustrated many celebrated picture books, including We Give Thanks by Cynthia Rylant and his own Good Boy, A Letter for Leo, and the Fox and Chick series, the first book in which received a Geisel Honor. His work has been awarded by American Illustration, The Society of Illustrators, Communication Arts, The Society of Publication Designers, and Parents’ Choice. In 2011, he received the Sendak Fellowship. Sergio lives in Italy, and you can visit him at Ruzzier.com.

Editorial Reviews

★ 08/15/2022

The basic pathway of this emotionally significant story by Underwood (Every Little Letter) will be familiar to anyone who has loved, and lost, a dear companion. Walter, a rodent, and Xavier, who appears to be a green-footed fowl, are best friends, hiking and painting and boating together, until one day, after Xavier and a newcomer bond, “they weren’t.” Though Xavier and hedgehog Penelope are friendly to Walter, even extending an invitation to a ballgame, “it wasn’t the same,” and Walter has many empty hours to fill. Ruzzier (No! Said Custard the Squirrel) creates a warm-hued landscape in which appealing animal characters experiencing recognizable emotions move among delightfully strange natural wonders. As Walter’s world changes, his whole body sags—even his tail. Far from bouncing back quickly, Walter sustains a period of real mourning before things improve. The creators pay careful attention to this stage of his experience, giving it direct, powerful words (“ ‘I hate Xavier,’ Walter said to his mirror. But really, he didn’t”) before revealing what’s on the other side. Reprising the words quietly and slowly around the story’s illustrated phases, the creators paint a realistic portrait of painful change and a hopeful vision of moving on. Ages up to 8. Author’s agent: Erin Murphy, Erin Murphy Literary. Illustrator’s agent: Jennifer Laughran, Andrea Brown Literary. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

"This deceptively simple picture book explores the emotions we feel when friendships end....Underwood’s spare text provides ample space for illustrator Sergio Ruzzier’s surreal, otherworldly landscapes and bright pastel color palette. Ruzzier depicts the impact of Walter’s loss in approachable, moving images.... The book’s gentle pace, engaging artwork and lyrical yet straightforward text make this a comforting, reassuring read for young readers experiencing transitions at school or with friends. Walter Had a Best Friend is a gem."

11/1/2022 - BookPage

"Sparely detailed art and minimal text sharpen the poignancy of this take on the theme of 'watching once-close friends drift away.'... The focus is clearly on the shifts in Walter’s emotional landscape, and both Underwood and Ruzzier shed perceptive light on that."

10/1/2022 - Booklist

"Underwood’s story sensitively presents a common childhood occurrence, as evident in the title’s past tense: the disintegration of a friendship. The book’s pacing is superb and lets the story breathe.... The way Ruzzier captures the changing emotions on Walter’s face and the space the story gives to his time of “sad quiet” are honest and respectful to the interior lives of children.... Emotionally rewarding and cathartic."

9/1/2022 - Horn Book Reviews

"Ruzzier’s characteristic muted hues and fuzzy, mottled textures emphasize the narrative’s gentle tone, and the animals have a toy-like appeal. Share this with youngsters negotiating the shifting tides of preschool and kindergarten dynamics."

9/1/2022 - The Bulletin

09/30/2022

PreS-Gr 2—A simple story about friendship and loss, this book beautifully captures the end of the friendship between Walter and his duck friend, Xavier. It brings so much fulfillment to Walter's life, until Penelope the porcupine comes along. Xavier and Penelope become inseparable, and Walter becomes lonely and sad. But rather than moping around forever, Walter decides to embrace his new independence, move on, and find beauty in life on his own. In doing so, he meets Ollie, a badger who shares his love of hiking. Ruzzier's delicate pastel illustrations complement the text nicely as Walter learns to enjoy life again. Muted greens, pinks, and blues dominate the pages and prove to be not only very appealing to the eye, but an appropriate balance with the author's words. VERDICT An excellent book for a simple read-aloud in a primary setting or as an independent choice for a beginning reader. Some friendships do not last forever, it is okay to fly solo, and new friendships come when you least expect them; these are comforting and relatable lessons for any child struggling with loss or change.—Kerra Mazzariello

School Library Journal

★ 2022-06-08
Walter’s best friend is Xavier. They share a companionable friendship—until one day, they don’t.

Walter, a mouse, and his best friend, Xavier, a tall bird, spend quiet times together doing things like floating on a boat under sunny skies. Just as quietly, however, their friendship peters out as Xavier meets Penelope and their friendship no longer feels the same. Walter finds himself at first angry and then alone with “just a big hole in his heart where Xavier used to be. It felt like the hole would be there forever.” One morning, when the sun quietly makes its way into Walter’s house, he knows it’s time to go out and face the world. He decides on a hike but doesn’t take the same old path he took with Xavier; he tries a new trail. Along the way he meets Ollie, a badger, and as they walk together, it looks like the beginning of a new friendship. Soft pastel colors match the meditative tone of the spare yet poignant text. This tender, sensitive story speaks to the pain of losing a friendship, validating sadness but emphasizing that there is a way ahead. Perceptively, Underwood recognizes, too, that not all friendships end with fights or drama and that drifting apart slowly can feel just as raw. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A gentle story of friendships lost and gained and life moving on. (Picture book. 4-7)

Kirkus Reviews