My Friends (Taro Gomi)

My Friends by Taro Gomi is a beautifully illustrated book about learning simple skills...with a little help from your friends. And in this story, all creatures (from the tiniest ant to the teachers at school) are your friends. My daughter loves this book, reciting page after page which friend teaches her what task. The overall message of this book is that a child can learn something from everyone and everything. The artwork is delightful: colorful, simple, and crisp. The language sounds lyrical, even poetic, as you read it aloud. This book will capture the imagination of your child. Whenever we read it, my daughter gives me different examples of who has taught her what. It is a great conversation starter! I recommend this engaging book for all toddlers, beginning readers, or anyone who enjoys a sweet story.

An elegant simplicity of design and the use of primary colors make this book an attractive primer for bilingual study, as a little girl identifies with the world around her, beginning with animals: "I learned to jump from my friend the dog/ De mi amigo el perro aprendi a bincar." She learns to climb from a monkey, to explore from an ant, to watch the night sky from an owl, to sing from the birds. Then she learns to read from books, to study from her teachers and to play from her school friends. Best of all, she "[learned] to love from a friend like you/ Y aprendi como amor de un amigo como tu", adding an emotional element to the learning process. The drawings are simply constructed, kept to an appropriate language level, learning-friendly in concept and execution, the perfect introduction to bilingual language skills. Luan Gaines/ 2006.

We LOVE this book. It is one of my 2-year-old's favorites, and I always give it as a gift to friends with new babies.

The artwork is first rate, deceptively simple, clean, and modern. A visual delight, and the message that kids can learn from everything and everyone is strong and healthy.

This book is the first and last choice of my 15-month-old daughter every night before she goes to bed. She delights in the pictures and simple text, and asks for it to be read over and over again. The age description says 4 to 8 years, but even the youngest readers can enjoy the colorful pictures and the story's adorable heroine.