With a Friend by Your Side

by Barbara Kerley

Overview

With sweet thoughts about the value of friendship, this inspirational book preps young ones for the world beyond their own families. The striking photographs paired with poetic text will encourage more unplugged and imaginative play, help kids develop skills essential to their social and communicative development, and create a sense of belonging and security. Plus, we guarantee you'll finish the book wanting to hug a friend. A comprehensive afterword details the backstories of the incredible photos, which feature children and animals from around the world.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781426319051
Publisher:	Disney Publishing Group
Publication date:	05/12/2015
Pages:	48
Product dimensions:	9.40(w) x 10.90(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Barbara Kerley is the author of National Geographic's A Cool Drink of Water, which received a starred review from School Library Journal and was named an Outstanding Science Trade Book by the NSTA/CBC, and You and Me Together, which was named an ALA Notable Book. Her third book for National Geographic, A Little Peace, was called "powerful" by School Library Journal and "stunningly beautiful," by the Boston Globe. It was named to the Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Book List and a Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People 2008. One World, One Day, her fourth NGS book received a starred review from Publisher's Weekly and was named a Notable Social Studies Trade book.  She also wrote Walt Whitman: Words for America, which was named a Sibert Honor book, The Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins, a Caldecott Honor book, and What to Do About Alice?, a Sibert Honor book. She lives in Portland, Oregon.

Editorial Reviews

"Gorgeous, vibrant photographs and simple, affirming text merge in this picture-book tribute to friendship…The photography’s diverse subjects and global settings attest that friends span ages, race, and gender, too.” — Hornbook

"...Excellent photographs of friends from around the world are paired with simple but touching text to demonstrate that all people need friends to care about. The photographs have a nice mix of young and old from places as close as Pennsylvania and California, to as far away as China and Jakarta... VERDICT The wonderful photography and gentle text make this a good choice to read aloud at the beginning of a discussion of friendship or to showcase what all humans have in common.." — School Library Journal

"The text of this book talks about all friends can do and be. The photographs make it shine. Barbara Kerley catches the sparkle in the eyes of friends having fun together... This book is a work of art celebrating people – celebrating Friends." — Sonderbooks Book Review
 


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From the Publisher

04/01/2015
PreS-Gr 3—Kerley explored the importance of water in A Cool Drink of Water (2002), parents and kids in You and Me Together (2005), and peace in A Little Peace (2007, all National Geographic). Now, in this oversize volume, excellent photographs of friends from around the world are paired with simple but touching text to demonstrate that all people need friends to care about. The photographs have a nice mix of young and old from places as close as Pennsylvania and California, to as far away as China and Jakarta. Back matter is included to extend the usefulness for older readers. There is a map showing where each of the photos was taken and captioned thumbnails of each photo. There is also a page with a short passage about the importance of being kind to all people and a brief note to parents and caregivers with some online resources for helping kids make friends, and how to handle bullying. A few well-known quotes about friendship add a final touch ("The only way to have a friend is to be one." Ralph Waldo Emerson). VERDICT The wonderful photography and gentle text make this a good choice to read aloud at the beginning of a discussion of friendship or to showcase what all humans have in common.—Laura Stanfield, Campbell County Public Library, Ft. Thomas, KY

School Library Journal

2015-02-16
The concept of friendship earns itself another tribute picture book, this time with crisp, stunning photographs to match."There, in the crowd, is someone— / who likes the things you like." Brief text reassures readers that there's a friend somewhere out there for everybody and then lists all the things such a pal could do as well as the additional benefits of what such a friendship would bring. All told, the text is a pep talk to the lonely, promising great companionship to come. Its near platitudes are ameliorated by the book's eye-popping photographs of children and adults in 18 different countries. The backmatter includes a map of the world indicating where the photos were taken, quotes on friendship by Ralph Waldo Emerson, C.S. Lewis, and Samuel Taylor Coleridge, and a note to parents and caregivers that includes Web resources with "ideas on helping your kids make friends" as well as "resources on bullying." The result is a book that seems to hope to serve a very specific type of reader—the lonely kind—while also reaching for universality. Perhaps surprisingly, in the end it works, the world photography going a long way toward supporting its overarching goal. Though it treads perilously close to inspirational blandness, this book will serve to comfort those seeking friends of their own and inspire others to expand their friendship circles. (Picture book. 6-8)

Kirkus Reviews