Picture Book Review: I’m Going to Make a Friend

I’m Going to Make a Friend is a gorgeous hardback picture book exploring the nature of friendship and the courage it takes to find new friends when you have moved to a new neighbourhood.

A young child introduces themself as they move house, asserting that they are not afraid yet their body language shows otherwise. Whilst everyone assures them they they will make new friends, the child wonders how long this will take, and doesn’t seem at all sure of how to make these new friends.

Using an abundance of creativity and imagination, they make a friend for themself using junk modelling, showing a keen awareness of different friendship qualities and asking questions about new friends: Will my friend like noisy fun? Will they tell me lots of stories? Should they hug me when I am sad? But, can their creativity in building a friend help make a real friend?

The double meaning of ‘make a friend’ offers a perfect opportunity to explore with young children what they understand friendship to be and the qualities of a friend that are important to them. This is encouraged by the use of paired questions relating to friendship which will make it easier for them to think about and explore what is important for them, for example: Will they want to play how I want to play? Or have their own ideas? Should they hug me when I’m sad? Or give me some space?

The illustrations are absolutely gorgeous and really show the child’s changing emotions that sometimes seem to be at odds with the written words but not the underlying intention of the words as shown through devices such as capitalisation. I liked both that the child had the comfort of their cat travelling with them in each image as they navigated their way towards a new friend, and that there is the promise of someone else looking for a friend that perhaps the new child hasn’t yet noticed. There is so much to explore in both the images and language that will engage young children. I also really loved the change in the endpapers from those at the front of the book where the child plays alone to those at the end where a friendship has been formed.

This is an absolutely gorgeous, empathetic story for younger readers which shows the courage it takes to make a new friend when you move home, but also the joy of forming that new friendship. This will be a wonderful addition to any Reception and Key Stage 1 class library.

Thank you to Little Tiger for providing me with a review copy in exchange for my honest opinion. This book will be published on 1^st May.