Meesha Makes Friends

by Tom Percival

Meesha loves making things . . . but there's one thing she finds difficult to make – friends. She doesn't know quite what to do, what to say or when to say it. But one day she discovers that she has a special talent that might just help her navigate social situations - and maybe even make new friends.

A warm and affectionate look at the joys and difficulties of making and keeping friends, relating to others, and finding your place in the world. Empowering and emotionally resonant, Tom Percival's Big Bright Feelings series is the perfect springboard for conversations about mental and emotional health, building self-confidence and managing feelings. Every child's bookshelf should contain his books.

Genres: Picture Books, Friendship, Childrens, Mental Health, Storytime, Emotion, Fiction

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2020

About the author

Tom Percival writes and illustrates picture books (you know, for kids) as well as illustrating books written by other people. The most well known of these is probably the excellent Skulduggery Pleasant series by Derek Landy.

He grew up in a remote and beautiful part of South Shropshire. On reflection this seemed rather more remote than beautiful, owing to the fact that he lived in a small caravan without electricity, mains water or any sensible form of heating. He thinks that he’s probably one of the few people in his peer group to have learnt to read by gas lamp.
Surprisingly enough he has never been called ‘hippy’ (to the best of his knowledge)

Tom now lives in an actual house with his girlfriend and their two young sons.
His favourite colour is turquoise and his favourite number is usually seven.

Tom has three picture books available, Tobias and the Super Spooky Ghost Book, A Home for Mr Tipps, Jack's AMAZING Shadow and a fourth, Herman's Letter will be publishing in October 2012 through Bloomsbury

Reviews

[Marta Xambre · Rating 5 out of 5]

22/10/25
4,5 ⭐️
"Gostei muito, porque com esta história, quando tiver os meus filhos e eles ainda não tiverem amigos, vou -lhes ler a história para eles saberem que vão ter amigos e como os podem arranjar."
Óscar, o meu filho.

[Axellesbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Prachtige illustraties, prachtig verhaal. Ook de diversiteit die er in zit maakt het echt een mooi verhaal. Het is ontroerend en het taalgebruik is duidelijk en dus zeker geschikt om voor te lezen! Recensie vind je hier: https://axellesbooks.wordpress.com/20...

[Jenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

An ARC of this children's book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in return for my honest review.

Meesha Makes Friends by Tom Percival is part of the Big Bright Feelings book series.
This beautifully illustrated, heart-warming picture book is perfect for children who find it difficult of overwhelming, socializing and tying to make friends. It also helps children to reach out to a child in need of a friend.

My daughter and I enjoyed reading this book together and discussing the signs that someone may need a friend and what things to say and do to help.
I love that this book opens up this topic to discuss with our children.

Tom Percival's other Big Bright Feelings books are written to broach a variety of sensitive issues and emotions our little ones may be finding difficult.

[Gary Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Meesha likes to make pictures and create things inspired by her imagination, but when it comes to making friends, Meesha doesn’t know what to do. She says or does the wrong things, and she just doesn’t connect with other kids. When Meesha is invited to a party, she finds herself off to the side playing by herself. A boy named Josh is interested in her playing, and they slowly begin to play together.

Author-illustrator Tom Percival gets everything right in Meesha Makes Friends. He understands what it’s like for children who are awkward and excluded, and he shows how to take steps toward making friends by being true to yourself while noticing and taking interest in the activities of others.

The large format and expressive eyes are sure to draw in young readers who will also notice Meesha’s drawings. Meesha Makes Friends is a valuable resource for teachers and parents looking for picture books to support social-emotional learning in their classrooms and homes.

[Donna Maguire · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a lovely story that would be perfect for children who are struggling to make friends, it is easy to read and understand and hopefully will be a massive help for those that need it.

The book would also be ideal to help other children understand that not every finds it easy to make friends and some are better at other stills than making friends, the little girl in the story is much better at making things and using her imagination.

The images were lovely, it was easy to follow and understand - 4 stars from me for this one!

[UWE Primary English Team · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dan: I almost can't deal with how much I love Tom Percival's new book. As expected, it is a thing of beauty - a sensitive and gentle exploration of the difficulties that may be found when making friends, as well as how you might overcome them. A perfect book for reading and discussing together!

[Abby Johnson]

Meesha loves to make things with scraps and craft supplies, but the one thing she has trouble making is friends. Meesha could be read as neurodiverse, although there is no diagnosis specified in the book. She has trouble reading the emotions of other kids, finds loud, unpredictable spaces overwhelming, and likes things to be just the way they should be. When her mom drops her off at party with her classmates, she's quickly overwhelmed and finds a quiet space and some stuff to start creating. When one boy follows her and asks if he can join her in making stuff, she unexpectedly finds an entry point to making her first friend. Whether or not Meesha is neurodiverse, many kids can benefit from Meesha's story. Making friends is not always easy - lots of people struggle for various reasons or at times in their lives.

[Zoe Hickey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I originally picked this up in the shop because I liked the use of colour on the front and the title being about making friends. I know this to be particularly difficult for some children to do so thought it might be nice to share. I was right, this is a lovely story about a child who struggles to find friendship with other children so makes her own friends until something happens... The illustrations are very clever - using small and specific amounts of colour until the end where the illustrations use more colour. I think this could be done to show the brightness which some people can bring to your life through friendship.

[Charlie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this to Ms 5 last night and she really liked it. She's in the stage where she wants to make friends but, like grown adults, it can be a little nerve wracking to introduce yourself and start that conversation. The idea that her exploring her passions and sharing her passions is a great way to start the conversation is something I completely agree with. Find your people!!

[Jillian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Friendship story for those who feel left out or uncertain (could be read as Meesha being neurodivergent).
Pair with Be a Friend & Albie Newton.

[June · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rounded up because it was nice to finally see a picture book that shows it is not always easy to make a friend.

[Cassie Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this upcoming addition to the feelings series by Tom Percival.
Meesha Makes Friends is all about making friends in a way that stays true to yourself. A full message encompassing acceptance.

[Sandra | Leituras descomplicadas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Desde que descobri os livros de Tom Percival que fiquei fã das suas histórias e ilustrações. Há pouco tempo, lemos "Perfeitamente normal" e foi uma história que adorámos. Este foi o segundo livro que lemos de Tom Percival e aqui exploramos a história da Rosa que, apesar de ser divertida, não consegue aproximar-se dos seus colegas da escola e fazer amigos com facilidade. Ainda que muitos miúdos sejam extrovertidos e facilmente sejam capazes de fazer amigos e de se relacionar com outras crianças, outros há para quem isso não é tão fácil e importa desmistificar estas situações permitindo a que a criança entenda que não é nenhum bicho de sete cabeças. Acho que o tema está abordado de uma forma bonita, sensível e que ajudará muitas crianças mais tímidas a conseguir vencer a barreira que os impede de fazer amigos com facilidade e permitir-lhes que se tornem mais extrovertidos. Um livro que recomendo a todas as famílias e também a todos os profissionais que lidem com os mais novos, como educadores, professores e psicólogos. Cada um, à sua maneira, saberá utilizar este livro da melhor forma e a ajudar os mais tímidos a saírem da sua casca.

[Solange Vidal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Con bellas ilustraciones donde el rojo, el azul y los contrastes negro/gris tienen un gran papel se nos presenta esta emotiva historia. Es un libro perfecto para leer con quienes tienen problemas al socializar pero también nos da una oportunidad para discutir con los niños sobre cómo entablar amistades, cómo acercarse a otros niños, qué decir/hacer en un primer encuentro y reflexionar sobre como el ser diferente no tiene que dejar de combinar con tener amigos.

[Ana · Rating 5 out of 5]

5

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

A relatable book that kept mine and Noah’s interest throughout. Fantastic blue/red illustrations to highlight emotion too.

[James Cross · Rating 5 out of 5]

Meesha is a little girl who just can't make friends, everything can get too noisy, and people just don't see the world the way she does.

This is a simple story about kindness and difference and how we make friends. And in her case, make friends to make friends!

As ever, Tom Percival's style here is amazing, perfectly highlighting loneliness and difference with his use of colour and placement. I can recognise my son's autism and sensory processing traits very nicely within this work.

All of the authors books work as as books about emotions, stories in and of themselves, and all highlight a different trait of autism.

The dual themes of remaining yourself, never changing who you are for anyone else, but also allowing others to help you to enrich your own life are present, just like in Perfectly Norman, Ruby's Worry and Ravi's Roar.

I was provided this picture book for review as an ARC, by the publisher, but, as with all of his other work this will be an automatic buy upon release.

[Keri (BooksWithKeri) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recieved this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

An adorable story about the struggles of making friends. Tom Percival's series of books have previously helped to introduce and for children to understand tricky moments in their young lives - Meesha Makes Friends is no different. Meesha is a little girl who loves to make things - but she struggles to make friends. In social situations, she doesn't understand how to form those friendship connections and grows sad and frustrated. But there is no magic word that can make friends. This story teaches that friendship comes from shared loves, like creating, and from there you'll build lasting bonds. Beautifully illustrated as always, I love the attention to detail. The formatting of the ebook was a bit of a challenge to read on my kindle, as it sometimes jumbled the sentences, but I did enjoy the reading experience.
I would read this to my class!

[Fern · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fantastic and heartwarming 'Big Bright Feelings' picture book from the storyteller extraordinaire, Tom Percival!

In Meesha Makes Friend, Percival focuses his attention to the joys and difficulties in making and keeping friends, and, as ever, his signature style is a joy to behold. Beautifully written with striking illustrations that reinforce the story throughout, I am constantly amazed by everything Percival delivers.

Percival gently touches on themes surrounding loneliness, navigating challenging social situations and the struggles in making friends, whilst also celebrating the power of friendship and always being your brilliant, unqiue self.

[Reading With Yeti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Meesha knows to make many wonderful things, but there's one thing that she hasn't mastered yet : to make friends.There's a upcoming party, and Meesha is invited. However, Meesha is worried that she wouldn't fit in the crowd. Will she succeed in making new friends?

Tom Percival has done an amazing work in portraying empathy and compassion in a simple manner to attract young audience. In fact, this picture book can be used as a tool to have a discussion of how one can make friends,and how to help someone who is in need of a companion. 

Overall, this book is a heart-warming, and a beautiful guidance for an amazing friendship.

[Mehsi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Een enorm lief en zoet boek waar ik veel van mezelf in herken! Mika heeft het moeilijk met vrienden maken en houdt van knutselen (en ze kan echt hele leuke dingen maken), haar ouders proberen haar te helpen (nou ja, hou daar maar mee op, je gaat je kind niet zomaar naar een feestje brengen) en gelukkig gebeurde daar iets onwijs liefs waar ik heel blij mee was.
Ik vond het mooi hoe Mika (en haar dingen) in kleur waren en alles om haar heen grauw/grijs waren. Erg leuk gedaan, vooral als ze dus later iemand ontmoet en die ook kleur is~
Een tof boek! Ik heb genoten~

[Ashley schoen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love these books. This one shows a little girl who finds it hard to belong but figures it out. Could also have students create their own friend to relate to Meesha!

[Lilioara · Rating 5 out of 5]

La fel ca sărbătorile, cărțile ne aduc ÎMPREUNĂ!

Crăciunul e sărbătoarea copiilor. Atmosfera festivă, colindele, costumul popular, mirosul de brad și cozonaci, darurile, toate acestea creează amintiri fascinante în sufletele celor mici. Și ce cadouri pot fi mai frumoase decât acelea care rezistă în timp? Dincolo de jucării și dulciuri, cărțile cu mesaje profunde, trebuie să fie nelipsite din sacul lui Moș Crăciun.
Copiii sunt darul nostru cel mai de preț, de aceea merită timp real și valoros dedicat lor. Citindu-le fragmente din lecturi, vom reuși să creștem oameni buni și prețioși.
Cărțile lui Tom Percival, apărute la editura Bookzone, explică inteligența emoțională pe înțelesul copiilor, cu vârste cuprinse între 3 și 6 ani. De aici, cei mici pot învăța cum să-și recunoască și cum să-și exprime în mod sănătos emoțiile, cum să navigheze prin tot felul de situații complicate, cum să facă față provocărilor zilnice, cum să discute cu cei mari atunci când sentimente noi își fac simțite prezența. Îi încurajează să nu cedeze atunci când dau de greu, să se controleze atunci când devin temperamentali și se enervează ușor, îi inspiră să aibă mai mult curaj și să creadă în puterea lor atunci când totul pare cu susul în jos, să îndrăznească mai mult și să descopere lucruri noi pe care ar putea să le facă, îi îndeamnă să comunice cu alți copii și să-și făurească noi prietenii, să se accepte așa cum sunt, fără să-și facă griji pentru că sunt diferiți.
La fel ca sărbătorile, cărțile ne aduc laolaltă, indiferent de tematica pe care o abordează. Și niciun cadou nu va aduce strălucire mai mare în ochii copiilor ca atunci când mama și tata, bunicul sau bunica, frații mai mari, mătușile sau unchii, se vor așeza la nivelul copiilor și vor citi ÎMPREUNĂ.

[Stephanie Bange · Rating 4 out of 5]

This will be a useful title to suggest for children who have a hard time opening themselves up for disappointment.

Meesha has a difficult time making friends. Most kids are too noisy, too loud, or just not interested in the same things she is. She begins to make imaginary friends out of craft supplies and recycled items, but finds them less than satisfying to play with. When she attends a (birthday) party, she finds it too noisy and retreats to a quiet spot where Josh introduces himself and they form a fast friendship.

Percival's gentle text is calm and reassuring, even when Meesha has concerns or reservations. The artwork was rendered digitally on an iPad Pro with selection of media brushes in Procreate. While most of the world is shown in shades of black/white/gray, Meesha and her world are shown in shades of blue, red, and (finally) yellow. This makes it clear how limited her world is and how it expands when she makes the effort.

This is an excellent title to suggest for with who may not feel comfortable putting themselves out there - the rewards of taking the risk. It would be easy to make this story preachy; I did not feel that was the case here. A wonderful tool for counselors and therapists to add to their toolkits.

Recommended for PreS-grade 3.

[Rebecca Reid · Rating 5 out of 5]

Meesha Makes Friends by Tom Percival (Bloomsbury, 2021) is a delightful picture book with a play on the word “makes” in the story. Meesha feels very shy, and does not always understand social clues of those around her. In order to not feel lonely, she makes things out of cardboard and other materials to be her friends. It is only when she’s in a social situation and sees someone else doing something similar that she realizes making friends can be about being herself. She and another child actually relate to one another and Meesha can recognize that now she has made a real friend.

Imagination is shown by the swirls and shapes surrounding the children, as the cover suggests. Lonely moments and shown in dull tones while the happy moments, when Meesha feels like she’s connecting to other people are shown in colorful spreads. Meesha Makes Friends is a sweet picture book from the Big Bright Feelings series, and this is my favorite from the series. Children will certainly relate to Meesha’s plight as well. My 8-year-old daughter enjoyed it very much, especially since she loves to create things, imagine friends, and also make real friends herself.

2023 Monarch Nominee

See on Rebecca Reads: https://reviews.rebeccareid.com/meesh...

[Leslie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Percival finds really refreshing solutions to time-worn experiences: like Anger, or Difference, or in the case of this Big Bright Feelings book: Making Friends. Something that ties all the books together thus far is how Percival doesn’t make the character be anyone they are not. It is Meesha being her creative maker self that makes a friend—and the realization that others might just be receptive as a fellow creative.
Being genuine, not all her attempts in the story work. Many readers will understand why calling “Tag! You’re It!” to a crying boy with a scraped knee (being comforted by another friend) may not be understood. And the vignette above it, the children don’t look mean, just confused.
Percival and the story are patient and kind—compassionate. And the solution falls into place in a non-preachy message well-received. She doesn’t interact perfectly in any given situation, that’s reality, and relatable, but an opportunity will present itself.
I love these books in that they never feel forced. And they are all just really beautifully illustrated; they translate well into relatable emotions and experiences. The clever use of a grid paper background on that one page that captures Meesha’s worry over Josh: a subtle delineation from reality; a nod to her imagining/constructing something. I also dig the bubble-vignettes on that page. I love the use of a limited palette, the use of it to draw the eye, to create distinctions, without allowing it to distract you from Percival’s skill with detail.
Meesha Makes Friends is visually and emotionally engaging. It’s a great book for every child, whether they have a tricky time making friends or not.

[Maiss Lukyana · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Meesha Makes Friends” is a perfect book for children who are in 1st grade. It is a fiction book that shows how it can be difficult to make friends. Kids in those grades can relate to this girl and stay interested in the material.

It is especially inspiring to all young girls. This is a powerful story about how Meesha enjoyed making things but never knew what to say to make a friend. So she started feeling lonely and became creative and started making her friends with all types of crafts. One day she met this boy who was very interested in what she was doing, and Meesha taught him how to use his imagination to make friends, and they shared it with all the kids. She learned how she can make friends by being her complete self!

I would choose this book for my classroom library since representation matters and how important it is for children to feel afraid to make friends. This story shows a lot of positive things; this young girl was brave and learned to always face challenges and keep going. This book also gives many different messages, but the ones I truly love are that you should face your fears and never give up. Everything will work out in the end.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

“For Meesha, making friends was so difficult that she wondered if she would ever be able to do it.”

Meesha just never seems to know what to say to other kids. She doesn’t know what to do or when to do things. It seems so easy for other kids. But Meesha LOVES to make things, so “she started to cut and stick and glue and sew” and creates a group of friends that she can take anywhere. “Friends that were easy to be around.” These friends can’t do everything real friends can do, but at least Meesha feels comfortable around them.

But when she goes to a party, the same issue arises: how do you make friends? It’s so loud that Meesha retreats to a quiet corner of the room and begins making her type of friends and that’s where she meets Josh, who wants to learn how to make the kind of friends Meesha is making. Though at first Meesha is reluctant, she soon discovers that she has actually made a real friend, just by being herself and sharing her interest with him.

A definite addition to my school library.

[Книжни Криле · Rating 5 out of 5]

Измина доста време откакто прекрасната картинна книга „Напълно НормаНлен” на Том Пърсивал излезе на български език и вече бяхме започнали да губим надежда, че ще видим още заглавия от поредицата на прочутия автор и илюстратор, но… Ето, че изд. „Таралеж“ добави към каталога си и „Миша търси приятели“, а това е книга, която обезателно трябва да потърсите и с която бързо ще се сприятелите. Част от серията „Големи ярки чувства“, това е трогателната история на едно малко момиченце, което се чувства неловко в обкръжението на своите връстници и така и не успява да завърже приятелство. Но макар и свенлива и несигурна в себе си, Миша не се предава. Какъв ли е нейният план и дали ще проработи? Прочетете ревюто на „Книжни Криле“: https://knijnikrile.wordpress.com/202...

[Izzie Murk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tom Percival writes a realistic and heart warming story about how Meesha struggles to make friends with other kids her own age until she finds the right friend who plays with her the same way she plays. Although there is no official diagnosis in the book, Meesha struggles to read social cues and is quickly overwhelmed in social situations. The illustrations add so much context to understanding how Meesha feels while attempting to make friends. I read this book with my fourth grade students, and they noticed the intricate details of the illustrations and continued to think about why Meesha was the only one in color or why when Josh begins playing with her, he slowly gains colors as well. I loved that I saw my students begin to recognize these differences, and I believe that this book would work for any age group to introduce some of these feelings in social situations that each child may or may not already experience.