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Summary
Summary
Henry and Bea are inseparable, but one day Henry suddenly stops talking to his best friend. Bea knows there's something Henry's not telling her, but what could it be?
Henry and Bea have always been inseparable...until one day Henry suddenly stops talking to Bea. He won't chat with her in class, and he won't sit with her at lunch. Bea can tell something's going on, and she's determined to find out what it is.
When their teacher announces that the class is taking a field trip to a farm, Bea hopes that this might be her chance to reconnect with Henry. When Henry finds an old cat collar at the farm and starts to cry, he finally reveals his secret to Bea- his cat Buddy died last week.
And even though it's hard for them both, Bea knows that she'll be there for Henry, as his best friend, no matter what.
From award-winning author/illustrator Jessixa Bagley comes a realistic and ultimately uplifting portrayal of the challenges of childhood friendship.
A Junior Library Guild Selection
Author Notes
Jessixa Bagley is an illustrator and comics artist. Her previous books include Boats for Papa , which received four starred reviews and a Golden Kite Award, Before I Leave , Laundry Day , which received an Ezra Jack Keats Award Honor, and Vincent Comes Home , which she wrote and illustrated with her husband Aaron. Her editorial work has appeared in The Stranger , The Chicago Reader , Nickelodeon Magazine, and The Seattle Weekly , among other publications. She lives in Seattle, Washington.
Reviews (5)
Publisher's Weekly Review
Bagley (Vincent Comes Home) once again conveys her deep understanding of the ways children process loss and her deep respect for their capacity to regain resilience. "It's always lucky to find someone who understands you," she begins, introducing the best friends of the title and instantly forging a connection with readers. When Henry sequesters himself with no explanation, Bea's first response is to think she caused the breach; she gives him his space, though "it was hard on Bea. She missed her friend." On a class field trip, Bea finds Henry alone in a quiet barn, where he finally reveals what's wrong: his beloved cat Buddy died the previous week. Bea acknowledges Henry's pain ("It's hard to lose a friend," she says, an echo of what she had feared for herself), and helps him to say goodbye--and when Bea and Henry rejoin the class after a modest but meaningful ritual, she knows to respect his privacy, saying nothing. Even when the story is at its most emotionally fraught, Bagley's direct slice-of-life watercolors and text anchor her characters in the world, offering reassurance and affirmation to the story and to readers. Ages 4--8. Agent: Alexandra Penfold, Upstart Crow Literary. (Oct.)
Horn Book Review
Henry and Bea are the best of friends until, seemingly for no reason, Henry withdraws. "What did I do?" Bea asks. "Just leave me alone," Henry answers. Bea respects his wishes, but it's hard. Then the class goes on a field trip to their teacher's family farm (a plot point that allows the children a greater degree of freedom than the usual school outing-with Bea and Henry peeling away from the group to climb up into the barn's hayloft to talk). Bea finally discovers the reason for Henry's behavior-his beloved cat has died. She offers comfort ("'It's hard to lose a friend,' she said gently"), devises a healing ritual, and promises-without being asked-not to tell anyone. Bagley (Boats for Papa; Vincent Comes Home, rev. 3/18) controls pacing and tempo through a mix of vignettes and full-bleed spreads. Close-ups home in on moments of intense emotion; landscapes reinforce the quiet, autumnal mood. One particularly effective double-page spread shows the farm-bound class members waiting for their bus, with Bea at one end of the line, looking worriedly toward Henry, who is standing at the other end, arms folded, looking away. A welcome addition to the shelf of books about grief; believable and affirming in its acknowledgment that even the closest friendships go through ups and downs-and of how to "bea" a good friend. Martha V. Parravano November/December 2019 p.62(c) Copyright 2019. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
Elementary-school-age Henry and Bea are best friends. They explore the woods, make paper airplanes, draw, study the clouds, and share their cookies, so when Henry suddenly stops talking to Bea, she is sad and confused. Beautifully rendered watercolor-and-pencil illustrations add important details to the story. Bea, with dark hair and skin, is a visual contrast to red-headed, fair-skinned Henry, but as the pictures show, their shared interests pull them together. Each child's later isolation is emphasized by images of Henry sitting outside the storytime circle or Bea swinging alone at the playground. A field trip to their teacher's farm gives Henry the opening he needs to tell Bea that he is devastated by the death of his pet cat. He shows trust by sharing his sadness, while Bea responds thoughtfully by keeping his story private. Trying to understand Henry's withdrawal provides readers with a useful opportunity to consider empathy and compassion, even when someone's behavior may be hurtful. Bagley sensitively demonstrates to her child audience concrete ways of being a good friend.--Lucinda Whitehurst Copyright 2019 Booklist
School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2--Henry and Bea are the kind of best friends who do everything together and even seem to know what the other is thinking. One day, Henry is sad and withdrawn and ignores Bea completely. Bea misses her friend and while she gives him his space, she doesn't give up on him. She keeps reaching out until one day, on a class field trip, Henry is ready to talk. His pet has died and he has been keeping the sadness inside. Bea offers Henry comfort, companionship, and understanding and their friendship is reaffirmed. The watercolor and pencil illustrations depict a pale boy with carrot-colored hair and a dark-haired, darker skinned girl engaged in multiple best friend activities. They draw together, camp out, play at the park, share snacks, or simply cloud-watch while enjoying each other's company. The pictures also capture Bea's confusion and sadness when Henry closes himself off and the happiness they feel when they are together. VERDICT A gentle story with a lesson about what true friends are made of.--Kelly Roth, Bartow County Public Library, Cartersville, GA
Kirkus Review
Henry stops speaking to his best friend, Bea, but Bea is still there for him when he needs a friend.Henry and Bea understand each other, and that's why they are best friends. They always have fun together and are pictured reading inside a tent, playing hide-and-seek, sharing a cookie, and watching the clouds. Then one day, Henry seems "quiet and sad." He wants to be alone, and even an announcement about a field trip to a farm doesn't make him excited. At the farm, though, Bea gently offers her company to Henry. Finally, when they are alone, Henry reveals that his beloved cat died. Bea sits with him as he cries and helps him say goodbye to his friend. When they rejoin the group in order to take shelter from a storm, Bea implicitly understands that she shouldn't tell anyone about what he shared. On the final picture, a rainbow peeks through the storm clouds as the friends share cookies once more. Bagley's artwork creates an emotionally resonant experience, with the use of white space, perspective, and the expanse of the double-page spread to communicate emotional closeness, distance, and isolation. Readers will be invested in this simple, elegantly told tale and will not be disappointed at its conclusion. Henry is white, Bea is brown, and their classmates are fairly diverse.An excellent choice for themes of friendship and trust. (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
