Hello, Friends!
I'm thrilled to share the cover and early reviews of my next picture book, THE LAST DAY JULIAN WAS MY BEST FRIEND, illustrated by Joanne Lew-Vriethoff and out June 4 from Two Lions. You can preorder it anywhere you get books.
Isn't it beautiful!
Best friends and neighbors Anthony and Julian are having the summer of their lives. Making pancakes, riding bikes to the beach, playing in the sand and surf…They have everything they need for an epic summer vacation. But Anthony is worried. He has a secret―a secret about Julian’s missing marble. And he knows that once Julian finds out about it, he’ll be mad. He may not even want to be Anthony’s best friend anymore. So Anthony is determined to have the best last day as Julian’s best friend…until he can’t hold in his secret any longer. But maybe Julian has a surprise of his own to share with Anthony…
Kirkus called it "A touching story of true friendship and the power of forgiveness."
And Goodreads reviewers have said:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ February 23, 2024
This book teaches the value of loyalty, honesty, and forgiveness among two best friends. It teaches a child to face their wrongdoings as they recognize the emotion of guilt for the first time. I enjoyed this aspect of the book as all children face some guilt in their lives at some point. The illustrations were well done. I didn't find any faults with this book. I would recommend it to my friends with younger kids. All kids could benefit from this book's lesson.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ February 25, 2024
Thanks to NetGalley and Two Lions for my ARC in exchange for my honest review. This book will be published June 4, 2024.
This cute children’s book is about Julian and his best friend Anthony. Julian got a marble for his birthday. It was his best present ever! The two best friends played with it until one day it disappeared.
Adults will easily spot that Anthony took it because it was so cool but the lesson for kids is one of sharing, honesty and forgiveness. ❤️
A sweet book with cute illustrations.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ April 4, 2024
A lovely story about friendship and forgiveness! Julian and Anthony are best friends and are having a great time cooking pancakes, playing at the beach, and camping out. But the entire time, Anthony knows that this will be the last day they are friends. Slowly, the reader learns that Julian's favorite marble has been missing and Anthony has it (but he hasn't fessed up to his deed). He knows that when he finally tells the truth, the friendship will be over, so he's savoring this last perfect day. Luckily, when he gives the marble back, Julian isn't as angry as Anthony predicted (Anthony's own guilt was much worse than telling the truth). A beautiful look at honesty and true friendship with gorgeous illustrations to match!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ April 11, 2024
A touching, heartwarming examination of what it means to be a young child and good friend. Beautiful and enchanting!
I couldn't be more excited for readers to join Anthony and Julian on their touching friendship journey.
Take care!
Jody
