FICTION

The Girls

by Lauren Ace (text) & illus. by Jenny Lovlie
Rodale. May 2019. 32p. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9781984896513.
COPY ISBN
PreS-Gr 2–Four little girls meet and become fast friends despite their differences. Lottie is adventurous, Sasha loves to help when someone hurts, Alice is a performer, and Leela always has the best ideas. Though there are spats and strains over time, they still remain the best of friends. While the theme of nurturing friendships is a positive one, the story itself lacks a central conflict. Instead, it is a look at the characters’ friendships over time. The art is lovely and the palette appealing but it is difficult to discern who is who in each illustration. One standout scene shows the girls in a parade carrying rainbow flags; later, one of the characters, now a grown woman, is shown with her female spouse.
VERDICT Outstanding picture books dealing with friendship abound: Mike Curato Little Elliot, Big City, Mo Willems’s entire “Elephant & Piggie” series, Tad Hills’s “Duck & Goose” books, and Philip and Erin Stead’s A Sick Day for Amos McGee. This title is not an essential purchase for most children’s collections
Reviewed by Joan Kindig, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA , May 22, 2019

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