Cy Makes a Friend

PreS-Gr 2—Cy is a cuddly cyclops who loves to tinker around at home making robots and toys. There's a problem, though: he wants a friend. A robot won't cut it, and making a real friend means leaving the house and being brave. Making eye contact is key, too, and that's so hard. Finally, Cy's tinkering comes to a halt when he realizes that the chariot for two he's working on needs wheels, and that means going to the store. Parents will realize before the book's ending that this tough shopping expedition will end in a friendship, but kids will delight in the story's conclusion. This well-written, gentle tale with its colorful illustrations of the travails involved in being social will be a hit with shy kids generally, but the emphasis on eye contact and practicing various facial expressions before venturing into the big, alien world makes it especially right for children who are on the autism spectrum.