Prasadam-Halls, Smriti. I’m Sticking With You. Henry Holt, 2020. 978-1-250-61923-5. Unpaged. $18.99. Grades PreK-2.

Told in rhyming text, this is the story of two friends, Bear and Squirrel, who spend their day together, exploring, sharing a meal and playing. The story begins in Bear’s voice, as he explains how the pair is always together, even if one of them is grumpy or silly or things go wrong. Next Squirrel presents his point of view and after Bear breaks his favorite teacup, explains that sometimes he just wants to be alone. After Bear leaves disappointed, Squirrel quickly realizes that life is not as enjoyable without his friend. They reconcile and enjoy tea with the now mended teacup. The illustrations by Steve Small are done in pencil and watercolor. Both animals are anthropomorphized and are seen doing a variety of activities like riding a seesaw and taking a ride in a cab. The illustrator adds details which enhance the story, like the tea cup which has a heart painted on its side. When it breaks, the crack can be seen down the middle of the heart and when repaired, it is nearly invisible. When Bear speaks, the text is done in bold, while Squirrel’s words are in a light font.

THOUGHTS: This is an engaging story of friendship and how it sometimes has its ups and downs. This book is a good choice for reading aloud, especially when there are requests for stories in two voices. A solid choice for elementary collections.

Picture Book          Denise Medwick, Retired, PSLA Member