This Book Is My Best Friend

A tender reminder of what books offer—comfort, escape, and connection.

This all-dialogue picture book from Robinson (No One Returns from the Enchanted Forest) opens with two kids--one with pale skin, red hair, and big glasses, and one with brown skin and dark wavy hair--reaching for the same robot book on the library shelf. Each claims the book as their respective BFF, asserts possession based on passion for an element of the story, and tries to wave off the competition with an alternative title. But within a few pages, the children each reveal that the book is a critical source of solace: one child's mother is in the hospital, and the title is a "nice, familiar best friend" that "makes being alone less scary." For the other, the book offers "a quiet world" amid a bustling household that includes twin infant siblings. As the kids suggest alternate titles for each other, empathy and friendship blossom, and the two realize they can share the book during their library visit. Earnest and moving, with thin-lined scenes in green, orange, and teal that affirm the variously diverse library-going community, the story underscores the many roles that books can play, including modeling compassion, understanding, and connection. Ages 4-8. (Jan.)

Copyright 2022 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

K-Gr 3--Two children with enormous stresses in their lives--the brown-skinned black-haired child has an elderly daadi with a long gray braid who seems to have her hands full plus new twin siblings at home, and the lighter-skinned redhead has a mother hooked up to machines in a hospital bed--bicker politely over a book, Factory Friends, about robots that they both declare is their "best friend." They can each back it up with wonderful reasoning; they both offer the other decent substitutes. Continuing glimpses of their home lives show readers why this one book is so exceptionally important. Robinson, in words and art, shows the children taking apart just how the book makes them feel, and through communication, they discover that the friendship at the heart of the book is something they can share in real life. This sigh-worthy ending is one that every reader will cheer for, and the illustrations, showing absolute wall after wall of bookshelves, are an endless delight. VERDICT The comfort of books is well known but perhaps never tackled so resolutely. The children here are relatable and never precocious, keeping the argument civilized, sincere, and for readers, too, win-win.--Kimberly Olson Fakih

Copyright 2023 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

This picture book is an obvious homage to the ways literature can fulfill and inspire us, but the narrative's resolution and setting within a bustling public library lend nuance to this theme, suggesting that, beyond its individual attributes, a book can also serve as a gateway to new communities and connections. The story's parallel structure—the developing friendship between the protagonists mirroring their favorite book's plot—thoughtfully demonstrates that what appeals to readers can often reflect the social and emotional needs not being met in our day-to-day lives. Robinson's iconic character design and crisp digital illustrations grant a sleek, modern feel to an otherwise quaint story, and young children will delight in the lively pace and endearing characters. — BCCB