Friends Do Not Eat Friends

PreS-Gr 2–The beginning of a beautiful, albeit initially reluctant, friendship between two very different dinosaurs. After letting out an earth-shattering roar, Thunder, a T. rex–like creature, expects Cluck, a twiggy blue flying dinosaur reclining at their feet, to flee in terror, after which Thunder will chase and eat Cluck. After all, that’s always how it goes. Thunder is flabbergasted to discover that Cluck not only has no interest in running away but even wants to be…friends!?! The graphic format adroitly conveys the outlandish action and over-the-top comedy. Both dinosaurs will be immediate hits with readers, especially Thunder, whose remarkably malleable face can transform from befuddled to enraged in just a few panels. The art is exaggerated and cartoonish, and the comedic style is reminiscent of Mo Willems’s “Elephant and Piggie” series and What About Worms?. Readers will crow with jubilation as Cluck patiently wears down his toothy new acquaintance. Simple, repetitive language, along with a “How to Read This Book” section at the beginning, results in an accessible and engaging first reader for young children.