Can you remember your first best friend? Even if they were, shall we say, not visible to others? Honestly, I cannot remember that friend (or if I had one), but I do remember my special stuffed koala bear friend and the adventures we had. And Parker has many adventures with her own bear friend, Randall. However, there comes a day when one of them makes new friends, but those new friends cannot see the not so real one.
No spoilers, (yet you probably can guess who is real and who is not as real), but the point is that the two friends must go through the growing up process of growing apart. Yet, they will always have their memories of their time together and that is enough. And the not so physical one, goes off to do new adventures with a new friend that needs to start their own growing up journey.
Benson Shum is back in this picture book Imagine You and Me. This was the new book I read (via online reader copy) as it is not due until January 2024. But it was also what got me looking at this author/illustrators’ other works. They seem to do cute, fun stories. There are messages, but there are also straight-out stories. And various ages can read or be read to. I think this might work well as a read aloud to a ground, but also a one-on-one would probably be the best way.
The art of Shum in this book is not my favorite, but I truly enjoy Parker and her roundness. Well, there are several “roundness parts” where lines are child-like, smooth. And the colors are bright, not overly bold, but not faded either. But Parker is my favorite with her innocent look, round body and big, red glasses.
