There are many reasons why Annie is best friends with Lillemor, who is
from Sweden. "They're the same age ... They like the same colors ...
They like doing the same things ... They can both speak another
language. Okay, so Annie made hers up, but she is pretty sure it still
counts." Annie and Lillemor like each other so much they play together
every day. But then Lilianne, a new girl from France, arrives. Annie
can't stand that Lillemor has become friends with Lilianne, and that
Lilianne seems to have more things in common with Lillemor than Annie
does --- even their names, which both begin with "Lil"! Has Annie lost
her best friend forever? This funny, honest picture book by Annika
Dunklee perfectly captures the rhythms of youngsters' friendships and
emotions, while also reminding them that there's always room for new
people in their lives. The playful artwork by Lori Joy Smith uses
dialogue bubbles to enrich the text, which offer an opportunity for
acting out the story in the classroom while it's being read. A special
touch here is the use of two other languages, Swedish and French (with
translations), to expand young children's understanding of who they can
be friends with, making this a terrific book for introducing foreign
languages and cultures. This charming, engaging story can also serve as
a springboard for discussions on friendship and feelings, character
education lessons on inclusiveness, and social studies classes on
multiculturalism.
