I'll Always Be Your Friend

by Sam McBratney, Kim Lewis (Illustrator)

No one likes to stop playing when they're having fun. So when Mother fox says its time to go home, her little fox tells her, "I'm not your friend anymore," and scampers off. But as daylight fades and dark shadows loom, little fox starts to have second thoughts. With his usual keen eye for the range of emotions of young children, Sam McBralney perfectly captures the trust between a child testing out his independence and his mother, who reassures him "I'll always be your friend."

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Fiction, Animals, Family

32 pages, Hardcover

First published May 8, 2001

About the author

The 1943 born Northern Ireland native started writing children's books when he was a teacher in his thirties, with the aim of helping out students who had trouble reading. But he continued writing for a more-personal reason: "the act of imagining simply makes me feel good," he says. The fifty-seventh book of Sam McBratney's career, and his first book with Candlewick Press, was the much-loved GUESS HOW MUCH I LOVE YOU, which has sold an astonishing 15 million copies worldwide, and is available in 37 languages. "This is not the sort of thing you expect when most of your books have been remaindered," the author admits. "But, as the frog trapped in the milk discovered, if you keep going, sometimes you find yourself walking on cream cheese."

Where does Sam McBratney get his inspiration? "I told my children stories when they were young," he says, "so when I write I try to think of what they would have liked." But there may be another source guiding his writing as well. The author's father--who worked as a type compositor with the BELFAST TELEGRAPH, and whose favorite books were westerns--is the person Sam McBratney credits for giving him his love of the English language. "Most of my picture books--GUESS HOW MUCH I LOVE YOU, THE DARK AT THE TOP OF THE STAIRS, JUST ONE!, and JUST YOU AND ME--explore the relationship between a big one and a wee one," the author notes. "The big one is not called the father in the stories, but that's what he is. Although my dad died before I became a writer, the father in my stories has a voice and a presence that he would have recognized and understood."

In addition to authoring many books for children, Sam McBratney wrote radio plays for adults and a prize-winning collection of short stories. He received a degree in history and political science from Trinity College, Dublin, and worked for many years as a teacher.

Reviews

[Christina Reid]

Picked this up as soon as I spotted Kim Lewis and the fox on the cover - what a combination! The story is sweet, but the illustrations are something else. A gorgeous read-aloud for a bedtime story and one to treasure for the beautiful pictures.

[Aly Engaged]

Really
Liked it

[Lake]

Sweet book. Cute story.

Added notes:
Hilarious watching a child’s reaction who also likes to throw around “I’m not your friend anymore” when they don’t get their own way too 🤣 The “omg I DO THAT” is priceless and watching their cogs tick as they work out that 1) they should probably stop, it’s a silly thing to say and 2) mummy loves them anyway, even when they’re being a little cheeky.

[Candice]

Here's a book that can be judged by its cover, a beautifully-rendered baby fox with its mother in the background. The little fox and his mother play games all day long. Adults will see the games as training for the hunting the littlle fox will do when he grows up, but children will see it as running games, sneak-up-and-pounce games, and jump-over-my-shadow games. As the sun begins to set, Mother Fox tells the little fox that it's time to get ready for the night. The little fox is having so much fun with their games that he rebels at the thought of stopping and tells his mother, "I'm not going to be your friend again...ever." But left on his own, the little fox realizes that he needs his mother for more than games - he needs her in order to feel secure. A lovely story with gorgeous illustrations to highlight the bond between mother and child.

[June]

McBratney deals with a fox getting angry with his mother and saying "I'm not your friend anymore...And I'm not going to be your friend again...ever."

A simple, sweet story of how a fox cub realizes that he still loves his mother even though he was angry with her, and that she will always be his friend.

[H. Givens]

The art is GORGEOUS. The story's good too, I just thought the climax wasn't quite punchy enough.

[Beverly]

3 stars for the sweet, but done-before story; an extra 2 stars for the gorgeous illustrations and wonderful depictions of the foxes.

[Angela]

GORGEOUS illustrations!

[Tiyahna Ridley-Padmore]

I'll Always be your friend by Sam McBratney tells the story of a young fox who is out playing with his mother. When it starts to get dark, the mother tells him that it's time to stop playing and they can resume in the morning. Frustrated, the little fox doesn't follow his mother home and instead tells her that he is no longer her friend and will never be her friend again. In the darkness, the little fox gets scared and runs to his mother for safety and to take back what he said. The book ends with the mother telling the baby fox, "You know what? I'll always be your friend."

Although the story plays out from the perspective of foxes, this book is incredibly realistic. It shows the unconditional love that most mothers will have despite the verbal abuse and erratic behaviour that their children might subject them to. It made me kind of sad. The young fox only reconnected with his mother because he was scared and needed her while the mother just waited for him to come around with unwavering love.

[Leah Jurevicius]

I got this book because my four year old seems to have some anxiety around separation.

He often watches the episode of Daniel Tiger where Daniel learns that “grown ups always come back” and is also drawn to the book “Owl Babies”, getting excited each time when the mother owl comes back.

I suspected he would enjoy this story as well, and indeed he was drawn to it immediately. He asks for it several times in a row and marvels at how the mommy fox is ready to be the baby fox’s friend, even when he says he won’t ever play with her again. He’s so relieved that she’s waiting for him and doesn’t let him be alone in the night. He also recognized that he’s done the same thing (“remember when I said I hated you? I don’t really hate you. I’m your friend, too.”)

A sweet story to help build emotional intelligence.

[Jesse Baggs]

A cute book about mothers and sons that borrows liberally from “Runaway Bunny” without being quite as good. It’s also not quite as nice: the original title was apparently “You’re Not My Friend.” Of course, if you’re familiar with small children, this is definitely something they say, and my son is going through that phase right now, so the book is very apropos. Even better, my son loves it.

[Rose Rosetree]

"But the little fox didn't want to wait until tomorrow. He wanted to play another game and he wanted to play it now."

Then Little Fox had a fight with his mother, but she knew just how to handle it.

FIVE STARS for this picture book. And what an uncommonly brilliant book Sam has written this time, beyond what I think of as his already exceptionally high Sam McBratney standard.

Haven't all of us had this sort of fight with Mother? See my Comment below.

[Bec]

Absolutely stunning art, and a beautiful way to have the discussion about feelings, needs, and what the night really looks like while we're asleep

[Khalid]

The setting takes place in the field. In the story there was a little fox and his mother. He wanted his mother to play because in the story his mother didn't want to play because it was getting dark. But when he saw his mother again. So he rushed, hopped and held his mother soft fur tight. Then they became friends before they slept the night.

The theme was love because when the little fox saw his mother again he was so excited and happy so that action shows love.

[Mary Anne]

A sweet fox and his mom are playing. When mam says it is time to go in for the night little fox gets fresh and tells mom he wont be her friend. As night approaches, little fox isn't so sure he can do without mom after all. Patient mom settles fox in for the night.

[Voracious_reader]

Beautifully rendered.
Sweet story.

[Junessa]

A nice story about a fox who decides he won't be his mother's friend anymore until he gets scared.

[Irene Palfy]

Really great and detailed pictures and a solid (not very original though) plot.

[Rani]

The anger of a child is a fleeting experience. The realization of love is a life experience!