All summer I’ll be sharing books for kids of all ages on topics that will interest them or offer them a new interest to learn about. Most of the time these will be nonfiction books, but sometimes we can learn how to be better people or learn empathy from fictional stories too.
So, I hope you will stay tuned to these posts. They will always have Summer Read-to-Learn in the title and in the tags. There will be books from some of my favorite publishers like National Geographic, plus, some from independent publishers.
WILL YOU BE FRIENDS WITH ME?
By: Kathleen Long Bostrom
Illustrated by: Jo de Ruiter
Published: July 7, 2020
Publisher: WorthyKids
Board Book
Making friends can be hard, especially when even young children start to notice differences between their classmates, daycare mates, or even family members. But, what makes us different also makes us unique.
This board book allows you to start the conversation with your child in a fun and lighthearted way when it comes to being kind and playing with friends. Does it matter if your friend likes oranges and you like strawberries? Does it matter if your friend likes to color and you like to draw? Nope, we can still be friends and play together.
I love that the illustrator used diverse children throughout the book for the subtle message beyond the other obvious differences pointed out. Dark skin, curly hair, glasses, boys, girls, leg braces, different types of backpacks, carrying soccer balls or books, there are all kinds of differences to point out on the pages. But, the one thing that is similar on all the faces is a smile! Every child is having fun no matter what they are doing and who they are with. Such a great message to introduce at even the toddler stage. Maybe your child will be going off to daycare or preschool for the first time or starting Sunday School at church; helping them relax and know that they can be friends with everybody will make the new experience so much more fun.
I love the message of the book, the adorable children in the illustrations, and the lyrical text. We could all use a reminder of the kindness and acceptance found in this book.
Kathleen Long Bostrom, a Presbyterian minister who now writes fulltime, followed her dreams and created a career that focuses on her passions in life: faith, writing, and love of children. First, Kathy earned a master of arts in Christian education and a master of divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary in Princeton, New Jersey. Later, she earned a doctor of ministry in preaching degree from McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago. In the early nineties, Kathy started writing articles about her faith. And by the end of the decade, she was writing books. To date, Kathy has published over three dozen articles and more than 50 books. She is most known for her Little Blessings series of books as well as the numerous VeggieTales books she has written.
Writing about faith has proved to be a successful combination for this prolific author. Kathy’s books have sold close to three million copies and have been translated into more than 20 languages including Chinese, Russian, and Indonesian. In fact, Italian translations of her books may be found at the Vatican bookstore in Rome, Italy.
Another passion of Kathy’s is her family. She and her husband Greg live in Carlsbad, California. When she’s not writing, Kathy likes to spend time with her dog, Ellie, who she refers to as her little empty-nest dog. Her three grown children followed their own dreams and all live in the Los Angeles area where they work in the film industry. For more visit Kathy’s website, HERE.
Other books you might like:
Thanks to the publisher for sending a copy of this book for the purpose of this review. This review is my honest opinion. If you choose to make a purchase through the above links, I may receive a small commission without you having to pay a cent more for your purchase.
Posted Under board book, Book Review, Christian, Friendship, Jo de Ruiter, Kathleen Long Bostrom, Kid Konnection, Summer Read-to-Learn