16+ BEST FRIENDS PICTURE BOOK SEQUELS
For decades, there have been books that celebrate friendships, support, and love. Some are motivational and inspirational, and others are funny and witty.
There are many definitions for friendship, but the two things they have in common are love and support. Children should learn the value of good friendships, which instills kindness and compassion in their hearts.
Friendship doesn’t depend on size, shape or race. It’s about accepting and loving someone for who they are. Every little reader can tell you their favorite friendship duo or trio they love in picture books and if they are excited as we are when a new sequel publishes, they will love this list.
We have reviewed 16 of our favorite friendship sequels and we plan to update as they release.
FOX + CHICK
It features a fox and a chick in a series of short stories that children will love.
Fox and Chick are besties that do everything together. From a random party unbeknownst to Fox to a tiresome painting session, this book will have you laughing out loud.
The warm watercolor illustrations are fun and inviting.
AGE 6-8, PUBLISHER: Chronicle Books.
OTHER FOX + CHICK BOOKS
CHARLIE & MOUSE
Laurel Snyder is back with another addition to her Charlie & Mouse series.
CHARLIE & MOUSE EVEN BETTER feature several chapters of funny stories about a brother and sister as they prepare for their mom’s birthday.
From breakfast to birthday cake, this book is funny and interactive and Charlie and Mouse are totally relatable.
The beautiful and bright illustrations by Emily Hughes make this book so much fun to read that the smallest child will enjoy.
AGE 6-8, PUBLISHER: Chronicle Books.
OTHER CHARLIE & MOUSE BOOKS
HAZEL AND TWIG
The illustrations are magnificent and the mouse sisters are super cute. AGE 4-8, PUBLISHER: Candlewick Press.
OTHER HAZEL AND TWIG BOOKS
CHICK AND BRAIN
Chick and Brain, EGG OR EYEBALL is a funny series by Newbery Honor winner and one of our favorite author/illustrators, Cece Bell.
In this new book, Brain finds an object he believes is an eyeball, but Chick begs to differ. He thinks it’s an egg. A debate ensues, and it wakes up their other friends, and they all join in the debate over whether it’s an egg or an eyeball.
ALL Cece Bell’s books are hilarious, and Chick and Brain will have you cracking up. What do you think it was, an egg or an eyeball? The answer will surprise you. Special thanks to our book besties @candlewickpress for this book.
AGE: 4-7, PUBLISHER: Candlewick Press.
OTHER CHICK AND BRAIN BOOKS
ELEPHANT & PIGGIE
OTHER ELEPHANT AND PIGGIE BOOKS
PEEP AND DUCKY
PEEP AND DUCKY Rainy Day is the second sequel in the series by David Martin and is super cute. Peep and his best friend Ducky are on a play-date, but after having fun inside, building forts and pillow fighting, they want to head out but it’s raining.
Instead of moping, they venture out with an umbrella, and boots for some rainy day fun. They play captain on a ship and also discovered the umbrella can float, but it can also fly away with the wind. Back inside it’s time for Peep to go, and though it saddens them, they plan to play together again soon.
It’s your typical playdate book that every child would love. These books are relatable and teaches sharing. No child wants the fun to end when they meet their best friend. The illustrations by David Walker are vibrant and cheerful so every child can relate. AGE: 2-5, PUBLISHER: Candlewick Press.
OTHER PEEP AND DUCKY BOOKS
PINE & BOOF
PINE & BOOF: The Lucky Leaf by Ross Burach is such a fun story to read. Boof is a sweet bear scared of other bears and snakes and spiders and loves collecting things. One of his most prized possessions was a lucky red leaf.
One windy day, his lucky leaf got swept away, and that made him sad. Fortunate for him, he met Pine the porcupine who helped him locate his lucky red leaf using his lucky compass. On the quest to find the lucky leaf, they discover new adventures and discover the value of true friendship. They didn’t need the leaf after all because they had each other.
Pine & Boof are hilarious. Children will just love the vibrant illustrations and adventures. It also teaches children that it’s okay to be friends with people who are different and teaches manners and kindness, which is just awesome.
AGE: 4-8, PUBLISHER: Harper Collins.
OTHER PINE & BOOF BOOKS
DUCK AND HIPPO
DUCK AND HIPPO, IN THE RAINSTORM by Jonathan London, is another favorite of ours.
It’s springtime and Duck knocked on Hippo’s door, inviting him out in the rain. Hippo has concerns about the weather because he didn’t have an umbrella, but duck shared. There was one problem. They couldn’t both fit under the umbrella. What do you think happens? Would Hippo return home? No! Duck stood on Hippo’s feet while Hippo held the umbrella.
As they played outside, sloshing and splashing and sailing down rivers, they realized their difference in sizes didn’t matter if they work together.
I reviewed, In the Rainstorm because I loved the problem-solving aspect. Hippo is big, and Duck is small, but their sizes complement each other. Apart from the bright and colorful illustrations by Andrew Joyner, this book is very engaging and introduces critical thinking that children will enjoy.
AGE: 3-7, PUBLISHER: Two Lions.
OTHER DUCK AND HIPPO BOOKS
IVY + BEAN
IVY + BEAN is such a classic book for middle graders by Annie Barrows and Sophie Blackall. It’s the first of the wonderful series and feature two 7-year-old girls who became the best of friends.
Ivy had just moved into Bean’s neighborhood, and they were both reluctant to be each other’s friend because Bean thought Ivy was boring.
Their personalities were the opposite of each other. Ivy wore dresses and read books, while Bean only wore dresses if her mom said too and never read books because they made her jumpy.
One day Bean tried to play a trick on her big sister, and she was about to be in big trouble, but Ivy came to her rescue. It surprised Bean that Ivy would help, and they learned a lot about each other that day.
Ivy took Bean to a secret hideout where her sister wouldn’t find her, and since she loved pretending to be a witch, they vowed to put a spell on her sister, to make her dance forever. Ivy and Bean became best friends, and their days were full of mystery and adventure.
If you haven’t read one of these books, do so ASAP. They are perfect for little girls and boys who just moved into a new neighborhood and can also help them make new friends with new neighbors. Ivy and Bean are just adorable.
AGE: 6-10, PUBLISHER: Chronicle Books.
OTHER IVY + BEAN BOOKS
PETE THE CAT
I love THE PERFECT PIZZA PARTY by Kimberly and James Dean from the PETE THE CAT series.
Pete and his friends are having a pizza party, but not everyone wants pepperoni on their pizza. Some want pickles or pretzels and even papaya. Though their choices seem strange, they are all friends and accept each other’s differences and have fun.
This book teaches children acceptance and lets them know it’s okay to try different things. The illustrations are always so vibrant and fun in these books. It has become a household favorite to families around the world. I mean, who doesn’t love Pete and his friends? AGES: 2-8, PUBLISHER: Harper Collins.
OTHER PETE THE CAT BOOKS
JASPER & JOOP
Olivier Dunrea’s duckling series feature some of the cutest books EVER. From Jasper and Joop, Gemma and Gus to Ruby and Rufus, they are a delight to children all over the world.
JASPER AND JOOP feature two goslings who are the complete opposite. Jasper is white and very tidy, and Joop is gray and messy. Jasper jumps over puddles while Joop splashed into puddles. As much as they’re opposite, they’ve got each other’s back, supporting each other when they’re chased by a swarm of bees. Jasper gets dirty, but he doesn’t care because he has so much fun with his best friend.
These books are a joy to read. It celebrates friendship and adventure while allowing children to accept each other’s differences.
The bright and playful illustrations are a guaranteed favorite for babies and toddlers. AGE: 0-3, PUBLISHER: HMH Books for Young Readers.
OTHER BOOKS FROM THIS SERIES
DUCK & GOOSE
We love the DUCK AND GOOSE series from Tad Hills.
In this beautifully illustrated book, Duck and Goose finds a ball they think is an egg and they both lay claim to it.
It becomes a competition on who’s best at caring for the “egg” which creates a special bond and friendship between duck and goose. They then try to raise the egg together until an onlooking bird informs them it’s just a ball.
OTHER DUCK AND GOOSE BOOKS
FERGUS AND ZEKE
FERGUS AND ZEKE by Kate Messner is my favorite sequel.
I love these mice and their adventures. This is the first book of the sequel where Fergus meets Zeke for the first time.
Fergus is the class pet, and he’s always very good, so when the class is going on a trip to the museum, he feels like he deserves to go. He stows away in Emma’s backpack for the ride, but when he gets there, he is all alone.
He meets another mouse named Zeke. Zeke lives in the museum and takes Fergus on a great adventure. They visit the dinosaurs and butterflies and even saw some stars. They were having so much fun that Fergus forgot about the bus.
Another adventure began as they raced through the planetarium, wildlife exhibits, and butterfly displays to reach the bus. When they get there, Fergus does his jazzy dance because he made it on time, but it saddens Zeke that he will not have a friend anymore. Does Fergus stay at the museum or does Zeke hop on board the backpack to join Fergus in the classroom?
Children will love this beautiful story of friendship and companionship. The adventure and suspense in this book, along with the vibrant and fun illustrations by Heather Ross, guarantees to entice little readers.
AGE: 5-9, PUBLISHER: Candlewick Press.
OTHER FERGUS AND ZEKE BOOKS
YOU LOVES EWE
In YOU LOVES EWE by Cece Bell, a donkey meets a yam and a ewe.
The yam introduces himself and the ewe who he loves, but things become confusing for the donkey because he thinks the yam is referring to him when he says, “This is ewe.”
He doesn’t understand the differences between “ewe” and “you” and it frustrates the yam as he tries to explain.
They may sound the same, but they have different meanings and spellings.
This book is funny with a cute twist and teaches children about homonyms and even mentions a few such as “doe” and “dough” throughout the book.
Cece Bell’s illustrations are always bright, fun and witty and always captivates readers. Definitely our favorite for Valentines Day.
AGE: 4-7, PUBLISHER: Clarion Books.
OTHER BOOKS FROM THIS SERIES
CORK & FUZZ
CORK & FUZZ, SPRING CLEANING is another great bestie sequel.
Cork is a muskrat who liked to clean, and spring cleaning made him happy. His best friend Fuzz is the opposite. Cleaning made him tired.
While Cork moves branches and twig, Fuzz reluctantly sits unenthusiastically. He’d rather have fun, finding and cleaning stones and jumping in the leaves.
The friends soon get hungry and Cork goes to find food. When he returns, he sees everything clean. Fuzz was so tired, he piled the leaves for a bed, not realizing he was actually doing the cleaning.
The Cork and Fuzz series had to be on this list. They always have so much fun and children love how playful and witty the characters are. Sometimes being a friend means you like different things. Your differences makes you special.
AGE: 6-8, PUBLISHER: Penguin Young Readers.
OTHER CORK & FUZZ BOOKS
TOOT & PUDDLE
TOOT & PUDDLE by Holly Hobbie is such a delightful series. It features best friends who live in Woodcock Pocket. Puddle loved to stay home, but Toot was a traveler. He’d been to Cape Cod and The Grand Canyon.
Toot sent letters from Africa and Egypt while Puddle played in the mud and made maple syrup at home. Toot traveled the entire world for a year while Puddle stayed at home having fun. They both had the best fun ever.
At Christmas time, Toot returned to see his friend, and he couldn’t be happier. Now they can slide in the snow and go skiing like true besties.
You don’t have to do the same things or live in the same place as your friend. It’s about being a part of their lives, no matter how far away you are. Toot and Puddle portrayed that the greatest joy is being someone’s true friend. AGE: 4-8, PUBLISHER: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.
OTHER TOOT & PUDDLE BOOKS
NARWHAL AND JELLY
Ben Clanton’s NARWHAL AND JELLY series is another popular sequel that children love.
In Peanut Butter and Jelly, while Jelly eats a peanut butter cookie, Narwhal has no clue what a peanut butter cookie was. Narwhal only ate waffles, but after some convincing from Jelly, he agreed to try it.
Realizing how delicious it tasted, he began loving peanut butter and renamed himself “peanut butter.” He ate it so much, he shrunk to the size of a peanut. This made Jelly worried, but Narwhal had his reasons and it’s a funny one. Children will love this imaginative story that’s hilarious and fun with bright, quirky illustrations. AGE: 6-9, PUBLISHER: Tundra Books
OTHER NARWHAL AND JELLY BOOKS
CROC AND ALLY
The CROC AND ALLY series by Derek Anderson is both charming and silly.
Croc and Ally are best friends that live together. While they sit on their sofa, Croc thinks there isn’t enough room for both of them, so they traded the sofa for two chairs. Ally sat on tall chairs, short chairs and soft chairs, but still couldn’t decide. After choosing their chairs, they realized they prefer to sit next to each other instead.
OTHER CROC AND ALLY BOOKS
