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What Is a Friend and How to Possibly Make One?: A Children's Book That Teaches Friendship Skills of Greetings, Empathy, Finding Common Interests, and More!
Is it difficult for your child or students to make friends?
Do they wander alone at recess with no one to play with?
You may want to help out but don't know where to start, or
You may have tried many things but nothing seems working!
As the 1st book in the Making Friends! series, What Is a Friend and How to Possibly Make One? targets the four most basic skills to start a friendship, including greetings, empathy, and so on. Young readers will take the perspective of the main character and learn these skills step by step following the story. At the end of the book, social situations are provided for practice. This book brings four friendship marbles for young readers to collect and build on their friendship skills.
The author has uniquely applied behavior science to children’s literature by using behavioral technologies and procedures such as Behavior Skills Training (BST) through instructions, modelling, rehearsal, and feedback.
This book was developed together with researchers, school teachers, early childhood educators, behaviour analysts, speech-language pathologists, many parents, and children!
Do they wander alone at recess with no one to play with?
You may want to help out but don't know where to start, or
You may have tried many things but nothing seems working!
As the 1st book in the Making Friends! series, What Is a Friend and How to Possibly Make One? targets the four most basic skills to start a friendship, including greetings, empathy, and so on. Young readers will take the perspective of the main character and learn these skills step by step following the story. At the end of the book, social situations are provided for practice. This book brings four friendship marbles for young readers to collect and build on their friendship skills.
The author has uniquely applied behavior science to children’s literature by using behavioral technologies and procedures such as Behavior Skills Training (BST) through instructions, modelling, rehearsal, and feedback.
This book was developed together with researchers, school teachers, early childhood educators, behaviour analysts, speech-language pathologists, many parents, and children!
38 pages, Paperback
Published October 20, 2023
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
January 29, 2024
This is a good book to teach kids how they can be a good friend - by reading social cues that is their facial expressions and body language and avoiding things that annoy the friends. It is also important to not act like a police officer and tell friends what is right in front of others. Illustrations are wonderfully done. Good work by the author. Recommended.
July 24, 2024
Amazing Book!
This is an amazing book that really grabbed my son’s attention. The rhyming story is fun, and the illustrations are bright and colorful. Different interesting components (like thought and dialogue bubbles, and cute maps and diagrams) makes this book really engaging. The way the author breaks down the different steps to making a friend makes it easy to understand.
What I like most is that this book is very interactive. The book starts off with an interactive mission for young readers to find marbles within the book, but readers are also encouraged to collect marbles in real life by accomplishing certain tasks (i.e. greeting someone or finding common interests). Additionally, readers can place themselves in the story by putting their own name, age, grade, at the beginning (there’s even a blank where they can add a potential friend’s name later in the book).
Overall, it’s a great book that I highly recommend as a former teacher and mother of a son with autism.
This is an amazing book that really grabbed my son’s attention. The rhyming story is fun, and the illustrations are bright and colorful. Different interesting components (like thought and dialogue bubbles, and cute maps and diagrams) makes this book really engaging. The way the author breaks down the different steps to making a friend makes it easy to understand.
What I like most is that this book is very interactive. The book starts off with an interactive mission for young readers to find marbles within the book, but readers are also encouraged to collect marbles in real life by accomplishing certain tasks (i.e. greeting someone or finding common interests). Additionally, readers can place themselves in the story by putting their own name, age, grade, at the beginning (there’s even a blank where they can add a potential friend’s name later in the book).
Overall, it’s a great book that I highly recommend as a former teacher and mother of a son with autism.
February 10, 2024
Fours!
Everything is in ‘fours’ in this wonderful book for children. The four traits to win a friend or friends include greetings, empathy, finding common interests and inviting others.
Then there’s the four who give him advice; the school bus driver, the librarian, the courier, and the local firefighter.
And finally there are the four friends including Connor himself.
The story was told with nice pictorial art, overlapping bubbles which are sometimes used in classrooms, and modern items like motor vehicles. Certain words are emphasised during the hunt for friendship like ‘approachable’. It’s no harm to include big words every now and again because it increases a child’s vocabulary.
Everything is in ‘fours’ in this wonderful book for children. The four traits to win a friend or friends include greetings, empathy, finding common interests and inviting others.
Then there’s the four who give him advice; the school bus driver, the librarian, the courier, and the local firefighter.
And finally there are the four friends including Connor himself.
The story was told with nice pictorial art, overlapping bubbles which are sometimes used in classrooms, and modern items like motor vehicles. Certain words are emphasised during the hunt for friendship like ‘approachable’. It’s no harm to include big words every now and again because it increases a child’s vocabulary.
April 7, 2024
The author has created a fun and engaging book for young children to learn how to build their friendship skills. The idea of collecting marbles throughout the story is a nice feature to help draw young readers into the storyline. The illustrations are great and enhance the messages and meanings throughout the book. Young readers will need assistance with reading this story since some of the words like "consequences," "perspectives," "courier," and "empathy" can be advanced for the targeted age range of 5-9 years old to read on their own. This is a helpful resource for parents, caregivers, and educators to use with children who need additional support with their social skills. Overall, this is a good teaching tool.
October 27, 2023
Wonderful!
The most important thing we can do for ourselves in this life is to make good real friends. They make life so beautiful. This book can help kids to understand how to approach other kids to be friends with them. It gives complex information in such easy language so kids can actually understand what it takes to get closer to the other person. Also, not only this book can teach friendship skills to kids but even grown ups can learn a lot from it. In this digital era when people are connected mostly digitally with other people, the skills taught in the book will actually help to make a genuine human connection. I really loved it. Kudos to the author!
The most important thing we can do for ourselves in this life is to make good real friends. They make life so beautiful. This book can help kids to understand how to approach other kids to be friends with them. It gives complex information in such easy language so kids can actually understand what it takes to get closer to the other person. Also, not only this book can teach friendship skills to kids but even grown ups can learn a lot from it. In this digital era when people are connected mostly digitally with other people, the skills taught in the book will actually help to make a genuine human connection. I really loved it. Kudos to the author!
February 2, 2024
thoughtful kids book
This is a kind and thoughtful book to help children learn how to make friends. I really appreciated the evidence based strategies that were used, the practical examples (some pages were like a workbook) and the pages that showed logical consequences for positive and negative behaviors.
The content is geared towards kids older than toddler age, but I could see this benefiting even kids that are up to their teenage years and still shy. It really helps break down the steps into easy and manageable pieces.
Would highly recommend for reading with kids who need help making friends.
This is a kind and thoughtful book to help children learn how to make friends. I really appreciated the evidence based strategies that were used, the practical examples (some pages were like a workbook) and the pages that showed logical consequences for positive and negative behaviors.
The content is geared towards kids older than toddler age, but I could see this benefiting even kids that are up to their teenage years and still shy. It really helps break down the steps into easy and manageable pieces.
Would highly recommend for reading with kids who need help making friends.
October 26, 2023
BFFs Are Best
What Is a Friend and How to Possibly Make One? Was a really cute morning read with the grandkids. The illustrations are wonderful, just keep a sharp eye out for that blue marble. He's a bit tricky to spot. And the story itself teaches many valuable skills about how to make friends. This one will definitely help those who are a bit shy, social awkward, or who just aren't sure about how to approach people and make friends. Once they are made, they'll have all the skills need to make them BFFs too!
What Is a Friend and How to Possibly Make One? Was a really cute morning read with the grandkids. The illustrations are wonderful, just keep a sharp eye out for that blue marble. He's a bit tricky to spot. And the story itself teaches many valuable skills about how to make friends. This one will definitely help those who are a bit shy, social awkward, or who just aren't sure about how to approach people and make friends. Once they are made, they'll have all the skills need to make them BFFs too!
November 30, 2023
Perfect book for little ones navigating social skills
This is a wonderful book that takes you step by step how to make friends and not just to make them, but engage in conversation and activities with them. It doesn't end there. This cute, educational book with cute illustrations also shows that you keep a friendship by nourishing it. A perfect book for kiddos and parents to read with little ones as they navigate their social skills. I highly recommend What is a Friend, and How Do I Possibly Make One?
This is a wonderful book that takes you step by step how to make friends and not just to make them, but engage in conversation and activities with them. It doesn't end there. This cute, educational book with cute illustrations also shows that you keep a friendship by nourishing it. A perfect book for kiddos and parents to read with little ones as they navigate their social skills. I highly recommend What is a Friend, and How Do I Possibly Make One?
January 18, 2024
Practical book teaches friendship skills
I love the practical advice given in the book and how the steps to make friends are broken down. We learn that “making a friend is like planting a seed. Just like seeds need soil, water, and sunshine, we need greetings, empathy, finding common interests, making an invitation, and more...” The graphics are very well done and are a colorful, imaginative way to convey the recommendations in the book. The book will help any young person who’s struggling to make friends!
I love the practical advice given in the book and how the steps to make friends are broken down. We learn that “making a friend is like planting a seed. Just like seeds need soil, water, and sunshine, we need greetings, empathy, finding common interests, making an invitation, and more...” The graphics are very well done and are a colorful, imaginative way to convey the recommendations in the book. The book will help any young person who’s struggling to make friends!
February 2, 2024
A wonderful teaching tool!
I had a conversation with my daughter earlier today that covered this very topic! I can’t wait to read this book with her and share the wonderful tools. The author lays out the information in a cute and relatable story with a repetitive rhythm that makes it easy to follow, understand and anticipate the next step. This is important in helping your little one build these very important skills! It was a joy to read and I’m sure it will become a regular in our nightly reading rotations.
I had a conversation with my daughter earlier today that covered this very topic! I can’t wait to read this book with her and share the wonderful tools. The author lays out the information in a cute and relatable story with a repetitive rhythm that makes it easy to follow, understand and anticipate the next step. This is important in helping your little one build these very important skills! It was a joy to read and I’m sure it will become a regular in our nightly reading rotations.
July 30, 2024
"What Is a Friend and How to Possibly Make One?" is an engaging children's book that teaches essential friendship skills through relatable storytelling. It effectively breaks down the process of making friends into manageable steps, such as greetings and empathy, making it accessible for young readers. The colorful illustrations enhance the learning experience, making it not only educational but also enjoyable. This book is a valuable resource for children navigating social interactions and is highly recommended for parents and educators alike.
November 4, 2023
Absolutely great resource for making friends!!
From the start of the book you can tell the author of this book is well educated. The book is well organized and the author uses great strategies and child interaction to help your child honestly make new friends. The examples in the book encourage your child to follow a set of skills that don’t always come naturally to all of us. I will be recommending this for sure!!
From the start of the book you can tell the author of this book is well educated. The book is well organized and the author uses great strategies and child interaction to help your child honestly make new friends. The examples in the book encourage your child to follow a set of skills that don’t always come naturally to all of us. I will be recommending this for sure!!
March 3, 2024
cute and logical
Maybe not the best fit for my 3yo, but we read it together and just didn’t spend as much time on the detailed problem solving parts. But we did enjoy learning about how to find out things we have in common and greeting people and empathy.
Very cute with great illustrations. Probably for at least kindergarten aged. And always a good reminder on how and why we connect with people.
Don’t forget - sometimes you have to throw out the first invitation!
Maybe not the best fit for my 3yo, but we read it together and just didn’t spend as much time on the detailed problem solving parts. But we did enjoy learning about how to find out things we have in common and greeting people and empathy.
Very cute with great illustrations. Probably for at least kindergarten aged. And always a good reminder on how and why we connect with people.
Don’t forget - sometimes you have to throw out the first invitation!
July 23, 2024
A Good Resource for Helping Your Child Find Friends
The book simplifies the process of building friendships. Though it may be somewhat unrealistic for a child to ask another enough questions to fill out a chart to find common interests, the message behind it is still valid. Finding common ground at any age is important. Even adults can learn the lesson taught here. Empathy and compassion are sorely lacking in this day and age.
The book simplifies the process of building friendships. Though it may be somewhat unrealistic for a child to ask another enough questions to fill out a chart to find common interests, the message behind it is still valid. Finding common ground at any age is important. Even adults can learn the lesson taught here. Empathy and compassion are sorely lacking in this day and age.
October 3, 2024
Wow what an excellent book
I have to say I was incredibly impressed with this book. As a mom, I know it can be really hard to make sure that your kids are not having any trouble making friends and getting along with the other kids. my son really really liked this book as it reintroduced how to make friends which I have told him about but I think this book really outlines it in a nice organized way. I highly highly recommend this book. We really loved it.
I have to say I was incredibly impressed with this book. As a mom, I know it can be really hard to make sure that your kids are not having any trouble making friends and getting along with the other kids. my son really really liked this book as it reintroduced how to make friends which I have told him about but I think this book really outlines it in a nice organized way. I highly highly recommend this book. We really loved it.
October 23, 2023
How to Make Friends
This is a really great book for shy kids who want to learn how to make friends. The author proposes an accessible way for children to connect to others using : greetings and empathy to indicate kindness as well as finding common interests and play dates to ciment relationships.
This is a really great book for shy kids who want to learn how to make friends. The author proposes an accessible way for children to connect to others using : greetings and empathy to indicate kindness as well as finding common interests and play dates to ciment relationships.
November 3, 2023
Perfect for making new friends
This book is so helpful to young readers who may struggle to make friends. It offers ideas and gives kids different things to consider when they are nervous about being rejected. Parents with elementary school-aged kids need to grab a copy of this book!
This book is so helpful to young readers who may struggle to make friends. It offers ideas and gives kids different things to consider when they are nervous about being rejected. Parents with elementary school-aged kids need to grab a copy of this book!
November 13, 2023
Lots of good advice
This is a good teaching tool for children who may struggle with understanding how to make friends, sharing interests and time together. The book walks children through the people in a community that can help you grow and navigate the steps of friendship. I could see school counselors utilizing this book for sure.
This is a good teaching tool for children who may struggle with understanding how to make friends, sharing interests and time together. The book walks children through the people in a community that can help you grow and navigate the steps of friendship. I could see school counselors utilizing this book for sure.
December 29, 2023
great book to help a child make friends at school
The author has a PhD so I immediately thought this would be a wonderful book to help my shy daughter make friends, and I was not disappointed! The book chronicles a boy’s journey to make friends at school from greeting a potential friend, finding common interests, having empathy and actually inviting a new friend to play. I definitely recommend!
The author has a PhD so I immediately thought this would be a wonderful book to help my shy daughter make friends, and I was not disappointed! The book chronicles a boy’s journey to make friends at school from greeting a potential friend, finding common interests, having empathy and actually inviting a new friend to play. I definitely recommend!
February 4, 2024
Say Hi!
This is a cute book that’s perfect for kids who just moved to a new school or a new neighborhood. It has gentle tips on what a kid can do to approach others, have empathy, and also, about not giving up. I’ve read the second book in this series and it’s also sweet to discover how the friendships on the second book started. Lovely illustrations too!
This is a cute book that’s perfect for kids who just moved to a new school or a new neighborhood. It has gentle tips on what a kid can do to approach others, have empathy, and also, about not giving up. I’ve read the second book in this series and it’s also sweet to discover how the friendships on the second book started. Lovely illustrations too!
February 26, 2024
4 skills for any age
This is a great book to teach young ones at a young age, so they can carry it through their life. I like the way it’s laid out with the problem-solving and consequence paths. It helps young ones understand that they have to take action to be part of something great, and their actions can have negative consequences.
This is a great book to teach young ones at a young age, so they can carry it through their life. I like the way it’s laid out with the problem-solving and consequence paths. It helps young ones understand that they have to take action to be part of something great, and their actions can have negative consequences.
February 26, 2024
what a great way to help children understand choices and how others might react!
This is a lively story about someone learning to make friends. They are helped along the way to see how others might be thinking. For parents of children on the autistic spectrum, this could be very helpful. For any child it is enjoyable and fun!
This is a lively story about someone learning to make friends. They are helped along the way to see how others might be thinking. For parents of children on the autistic spectrum, this could be very helpful. For any child it is enjoyable and fun!
March 5, 2024
wow !
What a great little story about Sam, who is having trouble making friends. The author talks about four attributes to halo make friends. Greeting,empathy, finding common interests and making an invitation.
Sam learns not to give up and eventually he has friends. This book might just be the thing that will help you child.
What a great little story about Sam, who is having trouble making friends. The author talks about four attributes to halo make friends. Greeting,empathy, finding common interests and making an invitation.
Sam learns not to give up and eventually he has friends. This book might just be the thing that will help you child.
April 2, 2024
Great even for me as an adult
This book clearly explains the steps needed in order to make friends. It is beautifully illustrated and the skills presented are accumulated until success is achieved at making friends. Every step is important. Perhaps the last one is the most difficult.
This book clearly explains the steps needed in order to make friends. It is beautifully illustrated and the skills presented are accumulated until success is achieved at making friends. Every step is important. Perhaps the last one is the most difficult.
April 22, 2024
Good explanation through storytelling
What is a Friend offers age appropriate examples of what it means to be a good friend. It’s all one story about a kid who comes across different scenarios that makes him question who is a friend and why. Kids will be able to relate to the main character. The illustrations help to tell the story and are well done.
What is a Friend offers age appropriate examples of what it means to be a good friend. It’s all one story about a kid who comes across different scenarios that makes him question who is a friend and why. Kids will be able to relate to the main character. The illustrations help to tell the story and are well done.
July 13, 2024
This is one of the main things kids care about
Making friends is one of the main things that kids, especially young kids, care about and that's making friends. This book will help them, though, the friendship process. A great book to read with your kids at night and for kids to read at their school during reading time. This book also teaches kids about emotions.
Making friends is one of the main things that kids, especially young kids, care about and that's making friends. This book will help them, though, the friendship process. A great book to read with your kids at night and for kids to read at their school during reading time. This book also teaches kids about emotions.
July 14, 2024
great illustrations
Great illustrations and very relevant topic! Making friends can be scary and difficult at any age, so I love that this is a resource for children who struggle with this area! My son loved the pictures and he learned many new words. I would definitely recommend to parents out there.
Great illustrations and very relevant topic! Making friends can be scary and difficult at any age, so I love that this is a resource for children who struggle with this area! My son loved the pictures and he learned many new words. I would definitely recommend to parents out there.
July 27, 2024
Great tool to teach kids who are shy!
Last year, I accepted a position as a School Resource Officer in a rural elementary school. I noticed that many kids had a hard time making friends and preferred to stay by themselves. This would be a great tool to recommend to their teachers, as they could share the book with the entire class and help everyone find common ground.
Last year, I accepted a position as a School Resource Officer in a rural elementary school. I noticed that many kids had a hard time making friends and preferred to stay by themselves. This would be a great tool to recommend to their teachers, as they could share the book with the entire class and help everyone find common ground.
October 23, 2023
Learning how to make friends
A resourceful book that teaches children how to make friends. It gives them tips on how they can do that. It gives them the steps which are easy to follow. Kindness, sharing, and giving are also important to friends.
A resourceful book that teaches children how to make friends. It gives them tips on how they can do that. It gives them the steps which are easy to follow. Kindness, sharing, and giving are also important to friends.
October 27, 2023
Amazing book about friendship
A must-have book for teachers and parents to read to their children at the beginning of a new school year in a new class or school. It gives important tips on how to make friends and what friendship entails. Thank you for such a useful book!
A must-have book for teachers and parents to read to their children at the beginning of a new school year in a new class or school. It gives important tips on how to make friends and what friendship entails. Thank you for such a useful book!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews