The Things I Love About Friends

Illustrations & Text : Trace Moroney
The Five Mile Press 2013 
Reviewed copy- from my local library

Back of book:
There are so many things to love about friends Sharing ideas, interests, feelings and fun time- and learning how to be a good friend. 'The Things I Love' series celebrates the everyday situations that form the basis of our children's experiences. Spending time with your children, giving them love and care, helps them to celebrate who they are, building resilience and self-esteem. In Notes for Parents and Caregivers at the back of the book, some helpful insights are shared.

Missus B says:
Narrated by a cute bunny rabbit character, this book gives a lovely account of the activities, interactions and emotions involved in healthy, positive friendships. 

The narrator explains how  play, talking about feelings, sharing activities, having sleep overs and  sharing interests are just some of the things she loves about friendships. She highlights how friendship  does not mean you
 'have to be exactly the same or like exactly the same things....Sometimes it's the things that make us different from each other that I like most about my friends.'
                  

The illustrations are cute with lots of lovely detail- patterned clothing, smiling insects and
back-ground action.Spot the fox smiling at the bird here and the bunny character petting a lady-bug.Cute!

Judging by their clothing, the characters seem to be a mix of boys and girls and on each page they are engaged in a range of activities including skate-boarding, reading books, climbing trees, roller skating and dressing-up.  

'My friends comfort me when I feel disappointed or sad......
And I do the same for them.....
that's what makes us friends!'

Ideal within the PSHE/SPHE curriculum,the story generates discussion about social behaviour while developing emotional literacy.

The 'Notes for Parents and Caregivers' page explains more about the importance of childhood friendships, building social skills and the positive impact of secure attachments.

Click on this link for more Friendship Stories

To extend discussion about 'Friendship' I've used some of the following ideas:

• 'Friendship Quilt' using coloured card by each child from the group
• Making 'Friendship Bracelets'
• 'Friendship Wreaths' made with cut-out hand prints
• 'Circle of Friends' photograph collage using pictures of everyone in the group
• 'All About Me' discussion with each child sharing personal facts e.g. likes/dislikes
• Memory Game-children try to guess who a child is when 'All About Me' info is shared
• 'Friendship letters/cards' with children writing friendly words to a new person each day

Happy Reading,
Missus B
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