What are friends for?

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

Delight in a really heart-warming tale of tw o friends exploring just what it is that makes their friends hip so special - even when it looks like they''ve fallen out forever. '

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Publishers Weekly Review

Grindley's (Breaking the Spell) sugary tale of friendship teeters precariously close to the precious. "A friend is for playing," burly Jefferson Bear tells the curious fox, Figgy Twosocks, when she asks him the titular question. So they play hide-and-seek, and Figgy makes it easy for her buddy to find her when it becomes apparent that her nimbler, smaller physique has a clear advantage. Learning that "A friend is for sharing," the fox then drags a large branch from a blackberry bush to the bear's side and feeds him berries. Their felicitous rapport hits a snag, but a reconciliation comes with mutual apologies and a reaffirmation of their friendship for, in JB's closing words, "A friend is forever." Dann's unadorned illustrations, reproduced on unusually sturdy coated stock, mirrors the story's sweet simplicity. Her depictions of the amiable pals' comically changeable facial expressions are the high point of this prosaic escapade. Ages 2-6. (Apr.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

School Library Journal Review

PreS-K‘Figgy Twosocks and Jefferson Bear do all of the things that buddies do. They play together, they share, and they help one another. In addition, they exchange platitudes such as "That's what friends are for" and "A friend is forever." They also have a predictable fight and make up just as predictably. While this book could be effective in explaining the concept of friendship to young children, the story is not compelling and the characters are not very interesting. Only the superior artwork and page design lift this book to a level worth considering for purchase. The relationship between the small red fox and the big tawny bear comes to life in Dann's delightful illustrations. In one scene, Figgy Twosocks sits on the big stomach of Jefferson Bear, tossing blackberries into his open mouth. In another, a little white tail peeks out of a pile of autumn leaves during a game of hide-and-seek. Although children will find pleasure in turning the pages of this attractive book over and over again, old favorites such as Arnold Lobel's Days with Frog and Toad (HarperCollins, 1979) provide a more entertaining exploration of friendship.‘Jackie Hechtkopf, Talent House School, Fairfax, VA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Booklist Review

Ages 3-6. This story doesn't break any fresh ground, but it handles a timeless topic in a sweet and appealing way. Figgy Twosocks, a young fox, is new to friendship, so she asks Jefferson Bear what a friend is for. Together, the two play, help each other, and share things. But when Figgy wants to play and Jefferson doesn't a less pleasant aspect of friendship rears its head. Happily, there is rapprochement, and Figgy learns that a fight doesn't mean the end of a relationship. One of the nicest parts of the book is its watercolor art. Never cloying, the pictures show the exuberance and tentativeness that come with meeting new friends. The design is especially eye-catching here; the pictures ramble over crisp, white papers, giving the whole book a look as fresh as Figgy and Jefferson's relationship. (Reviewed April 15, 1998)0753451085Ilene Cooper

Horn Book Review

In this somewhat drawn-out exploration of friendship between Jefferson Bear and the fox Figgy Twosocks, episodes range from familiar (pulling a thorn out of a paw) to dull (playing hide-and-seek), until the two have a falling out that nearly ends the friendship. Accompanied by gentle watercolors, the story will appeal to preschoolers with its simple drama. From HORN BOOK Fall 1998, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Kirkus Book Review

This series of truncated vignettes on friendship does not add up to a story. A gigantic honey-brown bear and a spritely little red fox are friends. ``What is a friend for?'' asks the fox, named Figgy Twosocks. ``A friend is for playing,'' answers Jefferson Bear, in syntax that echoes a little too closely A Hole Is to Dig. The two play a humorous game of hide-and-seek, allowing readers to enjoy the joke that the bear is too enormous to be concealed. After another illustrative lesson, in which they discover that friends are for sharing, Figgy Twosocks gets a thorn in her paw and requires Jefferson Bear's help. When the fox plays a prank that upsets the bear, the friendship breaks down and is just as predictably restored to the tune of ``A friend is forever,'' which is not something that can truly be counted upon, unfortunately. Dann's illustrations cheerfully depict the expressive animals and their exploits, but Grindley (Why Is the Sky Blue?, 1997, etc.) relies, this time, on sweetness over substance. (Picture book. 2-6)