I Like You the Best

PreS-Gr 2—Dolly, a pig, and her best friend, a rabbit named Jack, enjoy one another's company until a misunderstanding causes bad feelings. After they have both had time to cool off, they realize how much they miss being together. They meet at their Best Place to reconcile, and as they sit under the tree, Jack says, "We're both chilled now, Dolly." The book was originally published in Australia with the title Chill, which may explain the ending, but it's a phrase that won't make sense to most youngsters. The story is told through simple sentences, and cartoon dialogue bubbles accompany the characters' exaggerated emotions of friendship, silliness, and anger. Thompson alternates spot pictures of the two animals with full-page drawings, but the illustrations have a sketchy quality that seems unfinished. With so many good books about friendship available, such as Mo Willems's "Elephant and Piggy" series (Hyperion), this one is an additional purchase.—Martha Simpson, Stratford Library Association, CT