Make New Friends

Tomasso, the new kid at school, feels the weight of his father’s well-intentioned daily question: “Did you make any new friends?” Rather than admit he’s sitting by himself at lunch, Tomasso begins creating companions, drawing smiling faces on a milk carton, an eraser, and other objects he finds around school; giving them names; and creating stories to tell Dad at dinner. Eager to celebrate his son’s adjustment, Dad nudges Tomasso to invite the new friends for pizza, and the story reaches an extraordinary crescendo. Astutely observational colored pencil and watercolor illustrations by Di Giorgio portray a touching parent-child relationship throughout, but when Dad is confronted with his son’s literalized coping mechanism, readers may find themselves holding their breath around his reaction. Dad’s ability to meet Tomasso exactly where he is becomes a profoundly moving display of parental love and, as the final pages hint, may even pave the way for genuine connection in the outside world. Protagonists are shown with pale skin; background characters are portrayed with various skin tones. Ages 4–8. (Sept.)