Children's Fiction

The hand of friendship

May 2005, no. 271

Children's Fiction

The hand of friendship

May 2005, no. 271

Friendship is an integral part of the human condition. As the picture books reviewed here show, it can take many forms: an inanimate object; something you magically concoct; someone you meet in a shelter for the homeless; the firefighters who save your house; or even a well-loved poem. However, which, if any, of these books will become a child’s lifelong friend will depend not only on the needs and tastes of the individual child but also on how effectively the illustrator and author have combined their talents to present an engaging and meaningful narrative.

Stephanie Owen Reeder

By this contributor

Dr Stephanie Owen Reeder is a Canberra-based author, illustrator, editor and award-winning reviewer who has been reviewing children’s books for nearly thirty years. She has also worked as a secondary school teacher, a librarian, a university lecturer and a Hansard editor at Federal Parliament. Stephanie co-edited The Inside Story: Creating Children’s Books (1987) and was the editor of the Children’s Book Council of Australia’s journal Reading Time. Her historical novel Lost! A True Tale from the Bush (2009) was shortlisted in the CBCA Children’s Book of the Year Awards in 2010, while Amazing Grace: An Adventure at Sea (2011) won the New South Wales Premier’s History Award in 2012. Her picture book I’ve Got a Feeling! (2010) was an International Board on Books for Young People Outstanding Book in 2011. Her latest book for children is Dance Like a Pirate (2013).