Very Best

Paul B. Janeczko gathers 24 poems about friendship — the good parts and the awkward, disappointing parts too — and the result is a small collection that punches above its size. Contributors include Walter Dean Myers, and the emotional range here is real: loneliness, rivalry, loyalty, and the particular joy of a pet who always takes your side. Christine Davenier's pen-and-watercolor illustrations in blues and reds give the book energy on every page. Kirkus Reviews and Publishers Weekly both praised it, noting the tonal variety as a strength. The honest caveat is that 24 poems is a short visit — readers who want to linger will finish quickly. But for a classroom read-aloud or a gift to a child navigating the social world of early grades, this is a genuinely warm choice.