The New Friend

A Kirkus Best Picture Book of the Year, author Charlotte Zolotow and award-winning illustrator Benjamin Chaud's The New Friend is a poignant evocation of childhood pain and jealousy at the desertion of a best friend, with a message of optimism and empowerment. A child reminisces about the many moments of joy and playfulness he used to share with his dear old companion, who has, sadly, made a new friend. Although he is sad, he finds the strength to keep his head high and sets out to find a new playmate. "The devoted friendship of two children ends without warning . . . This all-too-common childhood experience is dramatized with an emotional honesty that, refreshingly, skirts sentimentality." --Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review) "Zolotow's gentle, introspective text, honest about the narrator's anger and sadness, is now accompanied by new but vintage-feeling illustrations from Chaud . . . A hopeful but not too neat story of a situation likely to be relatable to many." --Horn Book