Published by Candlewick (released May 26)

Thanks to Candlewick for providing me with a free digital copy of this book.

Summary:  Khalil and his big, noisy family live in the upstairs part of a two-family house.  Mr. Hagerty lives by himself downstairs. They both like to spend time in the backyard, Mr. Hagerty gardening and Khalil hunting for bugs, rocks, and buried treasure.  Sometimes they help each other with words: Mr. Hagerty when Khalil can’t read a word in one of his library books, and Khalil when Mr. Hagerty can’t remember a word. One hot day, Khalil can’t find anything interesting and Mr. Hagerty only digs up small, shriveled carrots.  Discouraged, they retreat to Mr. Hagerty’s place for some milk and chocolate cake. That night, they both have ideas, and each one sneaks out to bury something for the other to find. The next morning, Mr. Hagerty digs up big juicy carrots, while Khalil unearths some treasures to play with.  They celebrate with carrots and more chocolate cake, and that night each one thinks about the same word: friend. 32 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  A brief, but beautifully told story with collage illustrations are as bright and cheery as a summer day.  Pair this with Birdsong by Julie Flett for a story hour celebrating intergenerational friendships.

Cons:  I can’t help thinking Mr. Hagerty’s joy about his gardening success will be short-lived.

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