THE NEW FRIEND by Charlotte Zolotow. Illus. by Benjamin Chaud. Canada: Milky Way Picture Books, 2021.  ISBN 978-1-99025201-3 hc. $17.99     PreS - Gr.3    E PIC

Readers are introduced to the main character and her best friend, "a dear friend with long brown hair."  They have a wonderful day together, hiking in the woods, reading books, and snacking on apples from the branches of a tree.  The next day, our girl is in disbelief as she spots her friend doing all their favorite activities with a new friend.  She grieves by crying all day and night, but has a dream that she moves on and also finds a new friend.  The pain of losing a friend, at any age, is verified by the author, making this story perfect for reading at home and in the classroom. Chaud's watercolor and gouache illustrations freshen up the story with vibrant, colorful full page spreads of the friends interacting with each other and nature.  The text was originally published in 1968 and illustrated by Emily Arnold McCully.  It's a book that meets the test of time.
Lynette Suckow, Superiorland Preview Center, Marquette, MI