Amigas: Un premiado álbum ilustrado basado en la amistad de Ana, Carla, Indira y Alicia.

by Lauren Ace

Just like a tree, true friendship plants roots and grows stronger with the passage of time. Readers will identify with the four girls in this book who remain close from childhood through adulthood.

Genres: Picture Books, Friendship, Childrens, Feminism, LGBT, Fiction, Love

32 pages, Hardcover

First published July 12, 2018

About the author

Lauren Ace is from south Wales, studied Drama at the University of Exeter and now lives in London, where she has worked in publishing for ten years.

An award-winning publicist, Lauren looked after Julia Donaldson during her tenure as Children’s Laureate and has managed campaigns for World Book Day and the announcement of Chris Riddell as Children’s Laureate.

Reviews

[Alice-Elizabeth (Prolific Reader Alice) · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS WAS BEAUTIFUL, ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL. The Girls is a short picture book, documenting the lives of four friends throughout life. First, they are children and then become adults. I first found out about this book through Twitter and thanks to my Dad, who works in libraries, was able to track down a copy quickly. Simple but effective, this story also features an F/F relationship with strong, important messages about love and diversity.

[La Coccinelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

The synopsis pretty much sums this one up. It's about friendship, supportiveness, and kindness. There's no real story, other than the one that we all face, which is growing up.

While the illustrations are cute and the text is competent, I just couldn't connect to this one. It almost seems more like a little book a woman might make as a gift for her friends, celebrating their years of friendship. It seems oddly personal, in a way, and perhaps that's why I couldn't really relate. (Maybe if you have a tight-knit group of friends such as the one portrayed here, there might be more resonance.)

I think this is one of those books whose success is going to rely heavily on finding a very specific audience. Coupled with the fact that it follows the girls into adulthood (including marriage and motherhood), it might be a bit of a tough sell for younger readers.

[Rod Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

This looks good on the surface with its diverse cast and themes of friendship and support, but the story is so mild and wishy washy that it doesn't really make a strong statement about girls per se. I feel you could substitute all boys and not really need to change the words very much beyond the pronouns.

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite sweet and a nice message. However this isn't really a story, and I don't think it will entertain it's target audience for very long. It does make for a nice read and is a good introduction to the idea that girls can do anything.

[Fatima Seraj Alam · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book has a strong theme of friendship growing throughout the years from little girls to adults with relationships and careers. Little ones cannot yet relate or understand to the adult aspect of relationship. Also it’s highly unrealistic that they don’t have a falling out. One of them being gay wasn’t necessary to the plot.

[Angel McGregor · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful story that illustrates how friendship should look - happy, fun, supportive and diverse! Without making a big deal (which is the way it should be) this book shows the how four little girls befriend each other under an apple tree and how they weave in and out of each other's lives as they grow up. Ace has created a friendship that all children should value, their innocence showing on each page in a subtle way that supports inclusion without the story being about that.

[Evona.]

identificada, siempre suerte de tener las amigas que tengo

[L · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mi cuento favorito🧡

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

My review for this is just basically a long line of hearts.

Four girls support and love each other throughout their lives, from childhood to adulthood-- the story is a celebration of female friendship. Is 'The Girls' going to appeal to kids? I don't know, given that the concept of life-long friendship as portrayed here is complex, but it's the kind of book that can gather meaning over time as children grow into their own relationships with their peers.

[Lady reading under the Willow · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book has a cute premise, and I could have liked it, if it weren't for its promotion of the LGBTQ agenda to small children. There's a page featuring the girls marching in a pride parade, and two pages of one of the girls with her same-sex partner.

[Nia Talbot · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautifully illustrated book that explores friendship and how girls/women can have the futures they decide.

[Trisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely classy example of quality picture book.

[Georgia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good for a talk but there is hardly any plot in there ... this story could have been better... feels more like a propaganda book then a children picture book.

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked the book The Girls because of the cover and title, and I thought this would be an excellent addition to my classroom library. The book is for junior high readers. The idea of the story is that friendship is like a tree; trees start with a strong foundation, and as the tree grows, it also grows, and new branches are like new paths one travels. The reader watches the four girls' friendship grow and change, just like trees grow and change. The story can be used in a lesson about friendship and how life changes, but if people stay connected, they will form a strong bond that will always remain. Teachers can talk about each girl's differences in the story, their strengths, and how each difference complimented the other. Relationships can also be a topic to discuss from the story, about how groups of friends might not always agree. Still, their love, compassion, and respect for one another will trump any disagreements. This can also cover relationships within a family and how, at times, one might argue with a sibling or parent, but in the end, love brings them back together. A teacher can have students journal about when they disagreed or misunderstood and the steps they took to reconnect with the bond they shared. I thought this story was lovely, and I loved the analogy of the tree and friendship. This story is beautifully rewritten and explains how life may change, but we are always connected like branches in a tree.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is suitable for children throughout primary school. It could be used in PSHE to talk about friendships and how everyone is different and has their own talents but that we can learn from and help each other. It discusses kindness between friends and sharing worries and secrets. The story involves four friends as they grow up and also could be used to discuss inclusion of different ethnicities and disabilities but how, despite these differences, individuals can still form friendships. It is a story that many children should be able to relate to and elements of the story could be focused on depending on the age of the children.

[Ella · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although at first this book seems to be for young children, as you continue reading it appears more suited to older children and even adults. The story follows four girls from when they meet as young children to them as women. There are clear themes of friendship and support, highlighting what it means to be a good friend, including both the ups and the downs. The book shows how strong friendships can empower women to succeed in whatever path they choose. Older children would be able to relate to the changes and challenges of friendships more than younger ones so the book is probably most suitable to KS2 children. An interesting book to explore, possibly alongside PSHE.

[Jessica Tracy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Uhhhhh! It was so close to five stars! Cute graphics, little girls being little girls and eventually growing into women. Showcasing that not every woman chooses the same path like marriage, family, education, career, etc. How friendship is supported, nurtured, and can last through and past childhood. Muilti cultural inclusion. All good stuff!

However the LGBTQ pride parade scene and other instances brought it down to one star for me. I personally won't be reading this with my future kids. Which is a bummer, because for me it was almost so good!

[Eloise Battey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although I think this book tells a story of friendship and support I don’t think it does a good job of inspiring strong women. Unfortunately it followed the classic narrative of ‘men will break your heart’ and that women must go on to have children.

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Arrived from Mutha-Hood this morning, and really
think it’ll be a great addition to my ‘Books to Read At Brownies’ list. I’ve started to read to them while they’re working on something, and think this will be perfect for them.

[Liselotte · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ach wat een schat van een prentenboek. Ik snap alleen niet waarom dit mij werd aangeraden als queer boek. Ja, een van de meisjes groeit op en krijgt een relatie met een vrouw, maar dat is niet het thema van het prentenboekje, dat is vriendschap. Desalniettemin is dit echt een leukerd!

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm sure we've covered previously that I am both a crybaby and a sucker for books about friendship.

A punch in the feels that I maybe didn't need on this particular afternoon, but also, I'm running off to order a copy to share with some of my bestie girl friends, my sisters <3

[KC · Rating 4 out of 5]

A darling look at how four childhood girls remain friends for life.

[Adele · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was disappointing. Great diversity and representation, but no real story, too much telling instead of showing, and worst of all, none of the girls had any real personality.

[Vijetha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant! Absolutely loved it. Read it at a library and have been looking for a physical copy since.

[Kate Mrachek · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quite literally made me tear up. Will be sharing with all my friends that have kids and all my friends that don’t

[Khansa Baig · Rating 5 out of 5]

Four good friends find a tree that becomes their Secret Meeting Place: Lottie, the adventurer; Leela, who always has good ideas; Sasha, the practical one; and Alice, the performer.

The girls are great at celebrating each other’s successes, but even better at supporting each other when things go wrong. As they grow into four very different young women, their friendship stays as strong as the tree.

This touching picture book perfectly captures the value and joy of female friendship for children, but also for adults.

The message for children – that friendships can last a lifetime, and that the roots of our friendship support us as we grow – is a fantastic one, as is the reminder that we may be very different to our friends, but our love for each other is what binds us together.

[Villain E · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel like this is going to resonate more with parents than with kids. Four girls are friends in childhood and manage to stay friends their whole lives. A good message, but nothing to catch a child's attention.

[Gabrielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book for children who are starting to learn to read. It is a short story that follows four young girls from different backgrounds journey into adulthood. All connected by their friendship. It is a beautifully inclusive book representing different sexualities and races. Definitely a staple to have in a classroom!

[Molly Cluff (Library!) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely a book with lots of diversity in it of various kinds. As an adult whose friends are now all in very different stages of life, I like the heart-warming message that we can grow up (and all have different interests) and still stay close.

[Elizabeth]

Just swap out the apple tree for a pair of traveling pants!