Making a Friend

by Alison McGhee, Marc Rosenthal (Illustrator)

Clean, cold, white snow! Snow for sledding. Snow for catching on your tongue. Snow for making a SNOWMAN! Is there anything as wonderful as SNOW? Is there any better friend than a SNOWMAN? Snow isn't forever, though. The wind shifts, the weather warms and snow melts into spring. The Snowman has become something else - the fog, the rain. But, how can this boy forget his good friend? He doesn't - and he doesn't have to.

Bestselling author, Alison McGhee reminds us all that nothing that has been cared for can ever disappear for good, for, "What you love will always be with you." And, this tender story about the power of friendship will stay with readers long after they turn the last page.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Friendship, Storytime, Fiction, Love, Holiday

40 pages, Hardcover

First published October 4, 2011

About the author

Alison McGhee writes novels, picture books, poems, and essays for all ages, including the just-published THE OPPOSITE OF FATE, a novel, and the #1 NEW YORK TIMES bestseller SOMEDAY, illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds. Her work has been translated into more than 20 languages. She lives in Minneapolis and California.

Reviews

[Krista the Krazy Kataloguer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd actually like to give this 3 1/2 stars. It was a nice story about a boy who makes a snowman and keeps it "alive" all through the winter until it melts in the spring. Then he wonders all spring, summer, and fall where the snowman is and if he'll come back in the winter again. I liked the boy's realization that the snowman became a part of the rain and the ocean, the fog and the frost. That bit could start a classroom discussion about the water cycle. But something is missing here, and I can't really put my finger on what it is. I'm not sure that the message at the end of the book "What you love will always be with you" fits in the context of a snowman. I'm interested in other people's ideas about this book. I like it most for the reference to the water cycle, and would recommend using the book in a science classroom setting.

[Nancy Kotkin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This fictional picture book incorporates the water cycle into the story of a young boy who makes a snowman and befriends it. Then the seasons change and the snowman melts. When winter comes around again, the boy makes another snowman who looks just like the old one. This line is repeated three times in the story: What you love will always be with you. So the theme is not subtle, but the audience is on the younger side of the picture book crowd. The simple illustration style reflects the targeted age range.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not since discovering Raymond Briggs' The Snowman, I have I fell for a snowman story this hard. I nearly teared up at the end. It's a delightful one that is the perfect combination of playfulness and thoughtfulness. The repeating message, "what you love will always be with you" is a comforting and gentle message that could be used to discuss loss and life cycles.

Highly recommended for winter gift giving, families and children ages 2-6.

[Christine Turner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clean, cold, white snow! Snow for sledding. Snow for catching on your tongue. Snow for making a SNOWMAN! Is there anything as wonderful as SNOW? Is there any better friend than a SNOWMAN? Snow isn't forever, though. The wind shifts, the weather warms and snow melts into spring. The Snowman has become something else, the fog, the rain. But, how can this boy forget his good friend? He doesn't…and he doesn't have to. Bestselling author, Alison McGhee reminds us all that nothing that has been cared for can ever disappear for good, for, "What you love will always be with you." And, this tender story about the power of friendship will stay with readers long after they turn the last page.



Subjects

Snow -- Juvenile fiction

Snowmen -- Juvenile fiction.

Friendship -- Juvenile fiction

Seasons -- Juvenile fiction

Note - Some pages of this book are wordless.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Once autumn turns to winter, snow falls, and in timeless fashion, a boy builds a snowman, even giving him his own cap. He loves his snowman. But the passage of time is relentless, and spring weather melts the boy's frozen playmate. He wonders where his friend went, and finds traces of him in the pond and rain falling on the ocean. Once winter returns, though, he quickly builds another snow man. The story's message that "What you love will always be with you" is expressed in the illustrations, drawn with pencil and then manipulated digitally, but also in text that runs across the tops of some of the pages, perhaps unnecessarily. The story has a sweetness that was created by the youngster's utter enjoyment of time spent with his snowman friend. It makes me long for younger days when I, too, excited formed my own snowman and snowwoman.

[Janet · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is an ok story about a young boy making a snowman and loving him, missing him when he melts and being happy when winter is about to return. A little overdone with tring to say and using these words: "Whatever you love will always be with you;" and then the author has thrown in the water cycle--a little much for my tastes and wish I hadn't made the purchase.

[Kate Hern · Rating 5 out of 5]

Making a friend is by Alison McGhee is about a little boy who makes a friend out of snow. It is his snowman and always will be. The first snow of the year comes, and the boy takes advantage of it and makes himself a friend. He and his snowman have many conversations and spend all day together. Friendship is an important concept to understand in this book because it will be there for you during all of your ups and downs. They may go away for a little while, but they will always be there and come back one day. “What you love will always be with you.” This was repeated throughout the book after the sun had come out and the snowman had melted away. But the snowman was everywhere. He was in the puddles by his house, in the ocean, and even on the frost on the window. I believe that every book that Alison writes has the same quality of literature, which is characterization. The illustrations also bring the story to life, and so do the jacket flaps of the book right as you open it. The jacket flaps have the tools to make a snowman. That is the starting point for the rest of the book. Throughout the book, there are cutouts, collages, and lots of white space used to show the white snow. I believe that the illustrations were made using pencils, led, and colored pencils.
I selected this book for the author’s study because of how compelling it was. The power of friendship is immaculate. When you love someone, they will always come back to you. They will always be with you.

[Lupe Ramos · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet story about a young boy who makes a snowman which quickly becomes a friend. After the young boy makes his friend, the weather starts changing and the snowman melts. The young boy is filled with sadness as his friend has melted. After he figures out that what you love will always be with you, the young boy constantly wonders where he is now but know that he is always in a body of water. After the snow comes again his friend comes back. A message from this book would be that everything you love is not gone forever, “What you love will always be with you” is written through the illustrations where the boy is believing that the snowman will always be with him. Growing up and watching my siblings make snowman, I watched how they waited for the snow with anticipation in order to build a snowman.

[Garrett Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's publishing 2011
# Of Pages: 38
Summary: This book is about a boy and a snowman who end up becoming great friends. The boy realizes as the seasons change he loses his snowman friend. The boy keeps waiting for his to come back and eventually he does. "Things that you love always stay with you" was a reoccurring theme within the book. The book sends a great message to young readers to do the same.
5 stars
Fiction
Pre-K
C
Lexile:70
CCS Teaching ideaCCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K.3
With prompting and support, identify characters, settings, and major events in a story.

The students can follow the standards and write about what it asks of them. The teacher can even have a discussion about the book as well.

[Sylvie Gold · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book can be used as part of a unit on the seasons (especially winter) for the youngest children, but it also holds symbolic meaning for those old enough to grasp the concept behind the book's refrain: "what you love will always be with you." Simple text and appealing illustrations make it a good choice for the preschool set.

[groundmar · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't really like this book. It was part cute story about a boy making a snowman, playing with him as a friend. Then missing him when he was gone. And remaking the snowman the following winter. The water cycle is vaguely hinted at in illustration, which is neat. The phase, "what you love will always be with you" is created throughout the book. It rubbed my the wrong way.

[Jo Oehrlein · Rating 3 out of 5]

"What you love will always be with you."

A child builds a snowman from the first snow. But the seasons turn and the snowman melts. The snowman is with us as rain and fog and ice before the snow comes again.

[Viviane Elbee]

A young boy builds a snowman in the snow. It's his friend, but when the snowman melts at the end of winter, the little boy misses his friend. I like how the book points out that the snowman is still present in the rain and the fog and the lakes etc...

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really understand the water cycle now.

[Michelle Farella · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book defaulted to "tell" instead of show at times, and I thought it was a bit heavy handed.

[Evan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think I would've enjoyed this one more if I had read the picture book, rather than listening to the (well-performed) audio version via Hoopla.

[Katlin Seagraves · Rating 4 out of 5]

"What you love will always be with you."

[Deborah]

"What you love will always be with you."

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet story of a boy who creates a snowman then misses him when he melts. It did leave me teary and could be used to teach the water cycle but also a good book to talk about loss.

[Peacegal · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars--Unique and gentle story of a child who builds a snowman and wonders about where he's gone when the snow melts away.

[Jodell Larimer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent on grief and loss for young children

[DiAnne Warfield · Rating 3 out of 5]

Holt-Delhi library PJ story time 12-11-2024

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

We thought this was sad but a good reminder that even when someone you love isn't physically with you, they are still with you in your heart.

[Jaime · Rating 5 out of 5]

Making a Friend is a story about a young boy who experiences friendship throughout the changing seasons. In winter he wakes to whiteness, snow, clean snow and decides to make a snowman. He gives his snowman a mouth, eyes, a nose, arms and a hat. He even gives his snowman his hat, and he loves his snowman. Everyday he goes out and plays with his snowman but the weather begins to get warmer and slowly his snowman melts. The young boy wonders where his friend went. Throughout the seasons the boy finds his friend; he is in the falling water, the rain upon the ocean, the fog in the hollow, and the frost on the window. The boy wonders if his friend will ever come back. Then the first snow falls and his snowman is back; just shows what you love will always be with you. In this story the young boy loved the snowman and although he might not have been around the entire time the boy found what he loved everywhere throughout every season. His best friend never left him.

[Bridget R. Wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

What I thought: Such a sweet story. It would pair well with the song "Frosty the Snowman." I really like Alison's books. They always transcend into something more for adult readers. Making a Friend is a beautiful book about friendship that goes beyond snowmen. It could be talking about any friends but especially those who move away. The illustrations are gorgeous. I love the expansive white space. My favorites are hugging the snowman, the boy's picture of the snowman, and hugging the snowman again.

[Karla · Rating 5 out of 5]

A boy makes a snowman friend...and when it melts is comforted in knowing that "What you love will always be with you..." He finds the snowman in the "falling water and the rain upon the ocean/fog in the hollow, and the frost on the window" through the changing seasons, until it snows again, and his snowman returns. A beautiful message about friendship, loss, and the seasons of life for children of all ages.

[Karen Arendt · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautifully illustrated story about a boy who makes a snowman, then it melts, and he waits all year to build another one. What is so nice about this story is how the author gently reminds readers that "what you love will always be with you". The illustrations are simple yet effective at conveying the changing seasons. This book would work well on separation of loved ones for whatever reason, as second book about snowmen, or for making friends.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A simple book of friendship offers lessons on seasons and matter. A young boy (looking a bit like Crow Boy) dreams of winter and wakes up one morning to his world covered in white. In this winter wonderland, he carefully builds a snowman and in the process makes a friend. But his friend melts as winter turns to spring but the boy sees his friend in the fog, frost, and ice until winter returns.

[Candice · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet book about the love a young boy has for his snowman. As the leaves fall from the trees and the first snow covers the ground, a boy plays in the snow and then makes a snowman who becomes his friend. When spring arrives, the snowman melts and the boy realizes that his snowman is "in the falling water and the rain upon the ocean." And as the seasons pass and winter returns, he realizes, "What you love will always be with you." A heartwarming story with lovely illustrations.

[Dolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a touching tale about the passage of time, the changing of the seasons, and the impermanence of everything. The narrative is sparse and the pencil/digital illustrations are often framed by a lot of white space, keeping the story simple.

Our girls loved the repeated refrain, "What you love will always be with you." They also loved the images or shapes of a snowman in the various scenes. We really enjoyed reading this book together.