Published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Summary:  Jenny Mei is sad, but most of the time you can’t tell.  She smiles a lot and is kind to other kids.  Her friend knows, though, and when Jenny Mei acts out at school, her friend waits for her to talk to the counselor, then walks home with her, stopping on the way for a popsicle.  As they approach Jenny Mei’s house, her friend asks, “How are you doing?”  Jenny Mei doesn’t answer, but her eyes fill with tears.  “Being sad is hard,” observes her friend.  “But she knows I’m here for fun and not-fun and everything in between.  Because that’s what friends are for.”  40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  School and family therapists will find this a helpful book for all kinds of situations.  The fact that the cause of Jenny Mei’s sadness is never identified makes her emotions universal, and her wise-beyond-her-years friend shows kids how to deal with other children whose behaviors may be confusing.

Cons:  I was hoping for an author’s note and/or some resource lists at the end.