I Like You the Best (review)

Abstract

Reviewed by: I Like You the Best Hope Morrison Thompson, Carol . I Like You the Best; written and illus. by Carol Thompson. Holiday House, 2011. [32p]. ISBN 978-0-8234-2341-5 $16.95 Reviewed from galleys Ad 5-7 yrs. Dolly the Pig and Jack Rabbit are best friends, but the friendship goes awry when they paint portraits of each other—"You made me look like a lumpy pumpkin!" "You made my ears look like slimy slugs!"—that result in offended estrangement. The friends go through several emotional stages, from anger to sadness to the ultimate realization that they care far too much about each other to let the friendship go, [End Page 347] and soon all is forgiven. At its core, this is a tale of a special kinship that honestly explores the pain that comes when a friendship hits a rocky patch. The topic isn't hugely original, but there are several useful lessons in dealing with anger integrated into the story (at her maddest, Dolly takes a deep breath "all the way in and all the way out," while Jack "counts slowly up to ten, and back down again"), and their mutual devotion is sincerely portrayed. The key conflict in the story is far too adult for the age of the friendship, however, and youngsters are unlikely to emotionally identify with the problem. The text also concludes with a phrasing more natural to kids of the book's native Australia: Jack announces, "We're both chilled now, Dolly," a declaration that may be confusing to young Americans. The artwork is spirited and informal, with frenetic charcoal outlines that are then smudged and filled in with color. The palette is simple, sticking largely to the pink and red of Dolly's porcine skin and shirt and the blue of Jack's shirt. The concrete lessons on dealing with anger may help out a few listeners, and audiences may enjoy the playful presentation of the good friends' good times together. Copyright © 2011 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois