Making Friends

When Sukie moves house, she is apprehensive about starting a new school. On her first day, she feels small and sad, which is reinforced by the accompanying illustration of her standing alone in the playground, surrounded by groups of cheerful children. Fortunately, Sukie’s new classmates are friendly, saying hello and showing her the way when she gets lost. These small, individual acts of kindness make Sukie happy and help her to form friendships.

Wonderfully expressive illustrations perfectly capture body language and gestures in just a few simple strokes, enabling young readers to understand how the characters are feeling. Simple text effectively describes emotions, such as the warm glow Sukie experiences when people are nice, or the crinkly sense of embarrassment when her offer of friendship is rejected.

Told as a story, this is also a practical guide for children to explore different ways of making friends and being inclusive. Ideal to share with anyone who is starting a new school or club, it will also be useful in a classroom environment to prompt discussions about how to treat others. This subtle picture book is sure to help young people develop important skills of empathy and emotional intelligence.