The New Friend

A young child reminisces about the many joyous moments he had one summer exploring the woods, the brooks, and the attic with a best friend. Afternoons are spent reading, jumping rope, exploring the natural world, and talking, until one day the young boy’s companion makes a new friend. Dismayed to see the children picking wildflowers, the child gives in to feelings of sadness, crying himself to sleep.

In her picture book, The New Friend, Charlotte Zolotow achieves a lot in this deceivingly simple story. She introduces readers to the joyous moments of childhood, their relationship to the natural world and its role in childhood explorations, and the strong emotions — sorrow, anger, despair— which accompany the loss of a friend. There is also a nostalgia component for adults, and their reading this book to young readers may transport them back in time to their own childhood and remembering a lost friend. Yet, this book is hopeful. Out of the young boy’s sadness emerges the possibility of new beginnings with new friends.

Although the narrative is short, often consisting of one sentence per page, Zolotow introduces young readers to such sophisticated concepts as grief and resilience. The first-person narrative encourages young readers to follow along, to relive the adventures shared with a friend, in the hopes the young boy will find friendship again.

Benjamin Chaud’s illustrations complement the narrative tone. Using a muted palette of greens, yellows, and blues, emphasizing the natural world, Chaud recreates the happy moments the friends spent together in the woods and just as effortlessly captures the young boy’s sadness, paring down the colours and illustrations, focusing on the little boy and his expressions before populating the pages again with colourful and detailed leaves, trees, and rocks, representing new beginnings and new adventures.

The New Friend makes a great read-aloud for young children. The text is large, the font is easy to read, and the illustrations are simple and not cluttered; they are easy for children to decipher, and they successfully support the story. There are also many opportunities for the reader to pause and ask children open-ended questions about the narrative.