Cover of The Friend

The Friend

From the beloved husband-and-wife team of The Gardener, a Caldecott Honor Book

Annabelle Bernadette Clementine Dodd

Read more

Was a good little girl, though decidedly odd.

Belle lived every day as if she were grown —

She thought she could do everything all on her own.

Lucky for Belle, she has a friend at home, a caregiver named Beatrice Smith — Bea — who keeps a close eye on her so she doesn't get into too much mischief. Through the week Belle helps Bea as she does chores or shops or bakes, and at the end of most days they head to the beach — Belle and Bea, hand in hand, by the sea. But one afternoon Belle sneaks outside to play all alone, and something happens that changes her life forever.

A lyrical rhymed text and pictures that pack emotion combine to present powerful portraits of a girl and her loving guardian.

Genre
adventure
Themes
friendshipmoving
Setting
2000s
Audience
picture bookschildrens
Length
short · 48 pages
Form
poetry

Click a tag to see books like this one that share it.

Read it? Sign in to help tag it.

Liked The Friend? Here’s where I’d start.

These suit anyone who liked The Friend. Sign in and mark a few books for picks shaped around your own taste.

  1. Chalk & Cheese Shares picture books, childrens, friendship
  2. Tia Isa Wants a Car Shares picture books, childrens, family
  3. The Only Alex Addleston in All These Mountains Shares picture books, childrens, friendship
  4. Four Feet, Two Sandals Shares picture books, childrens, friendship

“People who read The Friend tend to reach for these next.”

  1. How To
  2. Garmann's Summer
  3. Boxes for Katje
  4. Bear in Love

“If you want more of the same (adventure about friendship), start with these.”

  1. Jellybeans
  2. My Friend the Monster
  3. The Magic Rabbit
  4. The Big Blue Spot

“If it was the friendship that hooked you, try one of these.”

  1. Look What I've Got!
  2. Charlie and Lola: My Best, Best Friend
  3. Freckleface Strawberry and the Really Big Voice
  4. No More Pacifier for Piggy!

“These start from a similar idea, even if they go somewhere else with it.”

  1. The Very Kind Rich Lady and Her One Hundred Dogs
  2. Mac and Cheese and the Perfect Plan
  3. Donna Bell's Bake Shop: Recipes and Stories of Family, Friends, and Food
  4. What Matters Most