When a Friend Needs a Friend
Roozeboos (Anne Roos Kleiss)
Scholastic
February 7, 2023
Age 4-8

Creativity and imagination rule for best friends Aya and Oskar. But when Oskar is feeling sad, Aya isn’t sure how to help him get back to enjoying their adventures. With guidance from some caring adults, she finds a way to understand his big feelings, give him space, and offer support until he is ready for fun again. In this thoughtful exploration of friendship, Roozeboos illustrates both the experience of sadness in oneself and in a loved one, and how working through our own feelings of confusion and rejection can help support a friend. Mixed media collage art, with a naïve sensibility, complements the chaos of both creativity and emotion found in the story. Rich natural tones play well with vibrant oranges and turquoise and add a sophistication to the guileless art. Despite simple faces, she captures the feelings of both central characters as they move from joy to sadness to understanding. Spreads that depict the passage of time let both Aya and Oskar feel their feelings and come through them to a new perspective on their surroundings and each other.

Empathy and compassion shine in a gentle story about accepting a friend and their feelings without trying to fix them.