Friend by Gavin Bishop

Friend by Gavin Bishop. Gecko Press, c2022, 2023. 9781776574865






Rating: 1-5 (5 is an excellent or a Starred review) 4



Format: Board book



What did you like about the book?  A sweet and simple celebration of the friendship between a young girl and her dog. Simple drawings show us the silly brown canine and his owner spending time together. One or two words per page (all in capital letters) supplement the story, but are basically superfluous. The dog rolls over for a belly rub (“HAPPY”), barks at a worm (“ANGRY”), makes too much noise for Grandpa (“ROWDY”), and looks chagrined when the girl scolds him (“SAD”). He hides under the table (in true dog fashion; mine does this too when she’s been naughty), but soon everything’s set to rights again. The little girl’s skin is a warm, light brown and her hair is black. Gecko is a New Zealand publisher, so I’m guessing the child is possibly Māori. I liked the simple shapes and warm, earth-toned colors and admired Bishop’s ability to wring a story with a bit of narrative tension out of the relationship.



Anything you didn’t like about it? No



To whom would you recommend this book?  Kids who love dogs, libraries or daycares looking for innovative and attractive board books. This could be paired with Bishop’s recent concertina book, Look . 



Who should buy this book? Public libraries and child care



Where would you shelve it? Board book



Should we (librarians/readers) put this on the top of our “to read” piles? No



Reviewer: Susan Harari, Keefe Library, Boston Latin School, Boston, MA



Date of review: October 9, 2023