The hand of friendship

Friendship is an integral part of the human condition. As the picture books reviewed here show, it can take many forms: an inanimate object; something you magically concoct; someone you meet in a shelter for the homeless; the firefighters who save your house; or even a well-loved poem. However, which, if any, of these books will become a child’s lifelong friend will depend not only on the needs and tastes of the individual child but also on how effectively the illustrator and author have combined their talents to present an engaging and meaningful narrative.