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‘Friends Forever’ Book Review

'Friends Forever' Book Review

I love collecting new books to share with my children. I have always been a huge reader, and I have passed my love of books onto my kiddos. My kindergartener daughter already reads well on her own, and my toddler son loves “reading” picture and board books to himself as well. When recently offered the chance to review Friends Forever written by Roald Kaldestad and illustrated by Bjørn Rune Lie in exchange for my honest opinion, I eagerly accepted the opportunity to expand my home library. The 48-page hardback book currently costs $19.95 with a sale price of $15.60 on Amazon.

Author and Illustrator

Son of the former head of Norwegian Writers for Children : Per Olav Kaldestad, author Roald Kaldestad debuted as an author in 2000. The writer credits his father as his source of inspiration. In addition to writing books for children, Kaldestad is also a musician.

Norwegian illustrator Bjørn Rune Lie currently resides in Bristol with his wife, son, and cat. After graduating from University College Falmouth in 2001, he has created vivid images that have appeared on milk cartons, magazine covers, text books, and albums. Friends Forever is the fourth children’s book that he has illustrated.

Text

“Two hundred and sixty-nine rainy days. He watches the leaves as they float and fall from the trees like the pages of a calendar. Two hundred and sixty-nine days. And whenever it rains, he misses his best friend,” begins Friends Forever. The story follows a young boy as he mourns the departure of his best friend who moved from the house across the street to the city. In the end, he learns to embrace a new friendship while still cherishing the past. Using a poetic text, Kaldestad deals with the challenge of change, which is a constant in the lives of adults and children.

When I first opened Friends Forever, I was not expecting such a beautifully written book. From the first lines, the poetic language captures my attention. The book is a wonderful mix of storytelling and poetry. My kindergartener daughter who reads at a first or second grade level, can read most of the book on her own, which is recommended for readers in first through fourth grade between the ages of 6 and 9. My toddler son also enjoys hearing me read the book aloud. As someone who struggles with change, I really appreciate the message in the story — that one can embrace the present while also cherishing the past. The story is absolutely beautiful!

Cover of 'Friends Forever' Inside Pages of 'Friends Forever' 1

Illustrations

In addition to the beautifully poetic story, I also love the illustrations in Friends Forever. The color palette contains mostly blues and grays with some red interspersed, colors that reflect the sorrow that the boy feels after the departure of his best friend. The illustrations of his happy memories contain more bright color, and the final pages become brighter as well. I love that the color palette reflects the mood of the story so well. I also enjoy the softer illustration style overall. Both my kids seem to enjoy flipping through the pages and looking at the pictures too.

Inside Pages of 'Friends Forever' 2 Inside Pages of 'Friends Forever' 3

Final Verdict

If you are searching for a book about change and loss to share with your children, I highly recommend checking out Friends Forever written by Roald Kaldestad and illustrated by Bjørn Rune Lie. The beautifully poetic story follows a young boy as he mourns the departure of his best friend through his acceptance of the change as he embraces the present. Recommended for readers in first through fourth grade between the ages of 6 and 9, the book is perfect for my kindergartener to read while capturing my own attention. I additionally love that the color palette reflects the mood of the story so well through grays, blues, and reds. I am overall impressed with Friends Forever and definitely recommend the beautiful book to all young readers.

Purchase Friends Forever on Amazon via my affiliate link.

Image Credits

‘Friends Forever’ Book Review © 2016 Heather Johnson
Cover of ‘Friends Forever’ © 2016 Heather Johnson
Inside Pages of ‘Friends Forever’ 1 © 2016 Heather Johnson
Inside Pages of ‘Friends Forever’ 2 © 2016 Heather Johnson
Inside Pages of ‘Friends Forever’ 3 © 2016 Heather Johnson

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