Life is Better with Friends

by Micol Ostow, Keiron Ward (Illustrator)

Friends fans of all ages will love this all-new picture book with adorable art, based on the blockbuster TV show! For when it hasn't been your day, your week, your month, or even your year . . . your friends will be there for you! Rediscover many of the amazing and heart-warming moments that Ross, Rachel, Monica, Phoebe, Chandler, and Joey experienced in the hit TV show Friends . You'll get to see Central Perk, Rachel and Monica's apartment, Marcel the monkey, and a whole lot more. With an adorable art style and a focus on key moments, this is the picture book you've been waiting for!

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Nonfiction, Adult, Humor, Pop Culture, Media Tie In

40 pages, Hardcover

First published November 2, 2021

About the author

Micol Ostow has been writing professionally since 2004, and in that time has written and/or ghostwritten over 40 published works for young readers. She started her reign of terror with Egmont with her novel FAMILY, which Elizabeth Burns named a favorite of 2012 on her School Library Journal-syndicated blog, A Chair, a Fireplace, a Tea Cozy. Micol's graphic novel, SO PUNK ROCK (and Other Ways to Disappoint Your Mother), was named a 2009 Booklist Top Ten Arts Books for Youth Selection, a Booklist Top Ten Religion Books for Youth Selection, and a Sydney Taylor Notable Book for Teens. She received her MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from the Vermont College of Fine Arts.

Her young adult horror novel, AMITY, will release from Egmont in August 2014, and her first chapter book series, LOUISE TRAPEZE, will debut in Spring 2015 from Random House.

She lives and works in Brooklyn, NY, alongside her Emmy Award-winning husband, their daughter, and a finicky French bulldog. Visit her at www.micolostow.com.

Reviews

[Darla · Rating 5 out of 5]

The iconic series "Friends" gets its own picture book. All the friends are included: Monica the foodie friend, Chandler the funny friend, Ross the dyno-mite friend, Rachel the fashionable friend, Phoebe the free-spirited friend, and Joey the famous friend. The text extols the values of having friends while the illustrations show classic "Friends" moments like the fountain and umbrellas from the intro , the couch in Central Perk, or Ross pushing Monica in the clothes basket on wheels. Series fans will be charmed by the many familiar moments and kids can just enjoy a story about having and being a friend. It's a win-win.

[Rod Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can't imagine kids would get much out of this picture book, but as an adult fan of the old TV series I enjoyed the nostalgia rush of seeing favorite scenes drawn on the page and shouting out the punchlines and catchphrases that accompanied them on the show. It's just a string of recognizing moments and saying, "It's the one with . . . " or "It's the one where . . . "

Cheesy but satisfying.

[Sabi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super cute (thin) book but I loved it as a fan nevertheless!

[La Coccinelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a strange little book. Who's the audience? As a picture book for kids, it's very basic, and simply reiterates that friends are good things to have in your life. As a bit of nostalgia for adults who are familiar with the series, it works a lot better. Fans of the show will get all the references that would seem random or nonsensical to people who've never seen the show (e.g., "Pivot!"). The illustrations include lots of nods and winks to famous episodes (including the jellyfish incident, the turkey-as-a-hat, and Ross and Joey's infamous nap), and fans might come away from this with an urge to binge-watch the series one more time.

I'd probably recommend this to adults who are fans of the original series. They could read it to their little kids, too, although those without knowledge of the show will probably just see this as a simple story espousing the benefits of friendship.

[Reading_seas0n · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute and even though I know kids won't get it unless they see the show, I love how adorable and innocent it was!

[Aude · Rating 4 out of 5]

J’ai lu Friends : Celui qui a des amis de Micol Ostow.

Il s’agit d’un album illustré inspiré de la célèbre série télé Friends.

Grâce à cette adaptation, on retrouve Rachel, Monica, Phoebe, Chandler, Ross et Joey à travers leurs répliques cultes, leurs moments forts et les scènes marquantes de la série.

C’est le livre parfait pour les fans !

Mais honnêtement, il n’est pas nécessaire de connaître la série pour tomber sous le charme de cet album.. Il s’agit d’une véritable ode aux amitiés colorées, sincères et vraies.

Une lecture qui plaira aux petits et grands… curieux et nostalgiques.

Tellement heureuse de cet ajout à notre collection ! 🖤

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

BEST BOOK EVER!!!!!!!!!

[BreOba · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful story about Friends! It made me laugh and cry from laughing so hard. Friends truly are the family we choose for ourselves. Magnificent!

[Julia Cadena · Rating 5 out of 5]

BEAUTIFUL 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 love love love

[Jodie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Couldn't resist picking this one up for my cousin who LOVES the tv show Friends. Such a cute little picture book, I could not resist getting her a copy. Fun moments from the series and really cute illustrations.

[Katy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not too long, introduces the Friends characters in the best way, and references iconic moments from the show without trying too hard. If you’re even remotely a Friends fan, get this for a kid in your life🤍🤍🤍

[Pattie Babbitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read with Rebecca, Stephanie, and Mortimer the not smelly cat in D.C. They are my lobster friends!!

[Katherine Walsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love all the references!

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's sooo cute I want to cry

(I love my friends even more now and will always cherish them)

And it's like so fun how the nods to the show is still like subtle so it feels like inside references

[Wellington · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is great for adults with kids who grew up watching Friends TV show. The book shows iconic moments during the series in children friendly format.

[Gary Anderson]

For little kids unfamiliar with the "Friends" sitcom, this book probably just seems like a nice paen to frienship, with a lot of weird phrases and images thrown in ("We were on a break!", "You're my lobster!", etc.). For those familiar with the show, it's kind of fun to pick up on all the allusions.

[Alma Maravillas · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really cute book for 'friends' fans very much enjoy. Even if you never watch it kinda makes sum up the idea of the show.

[Heath Cameron · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's Friends, could this be anything but awesome!!

[Shireen Hakim · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book perfectly captures all the best moments of the Friends show.
My 10 year old niece enjoyed reading it as well.
Thank you Scholastic for the physical review copy!

[Beth Rodgers · Rating 5 out of 5]

'Life is Better with Friends: The Television Series' by Micol Ostow is a fabulously creative way of showing the cast of 'Friends' in adorable cartoon form. The picture book captures real scenes from the beloved series, and will make anyone who's watched the show smile and laugh at the memories it evokes.

From Phoebe's time driving a taxicab to the girls sitting on the couch in wedding dresses, on to Joey becoming a sand mermaid and Monica getting bitten by a jellyfish on the beach, there are hilarious storylines all throughout the book. Ross' bagpipes show up, as does Monica with the turkey on her head, Rachel's trifle, the pivoting couch, Joey and Ross' nap together, and the infamous “We were on a break” scene.

There is so much fun to be had just by flipping through the pages of this beautifully made picture book that is truly a treasure for anyone who has wanted to be one of the 'Friends' gang.

Beth Rodgers, Author of ‘Welcome to Chanu-Con!,’ a Children's Picture Book, and ‘Freshman Fourteen’ and ‘Sweet Fifteen,’ Young Adult Novels

*Review originally posted at YABooksCentral.com*

[Manda Marigold · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.75 stars. I loved watching the tv show Friends. The show is just simply iconic. I find myself rewatching my favorite moments from the series all the time. When I saw that this children's book was written about the series I knew I had to read it. In regards to the book I thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish. There were a bunch of little Easter eggs of iconic moments from the show placed throughout the book. One example of this is Rachel messing up the recipe for the English trifle dessert on Thanksgiving. Overall, this book made me giggle and smile the exact same way the tv show did/does. I really appreciated the underlying message of this book which is friends will be there for you no matter what. The art style of the book is super adorable. The art style reminds me of the Chibi art style.

[Carmen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a copy of Life is Better with Friends from Scholastic Canada in exchange for an honest review.

As a longtime fan of the Friends sitcom, I was so excited about this cute picture book based on the characters in the show. This is really a fun book to have for fans and for the most part, young readers may get a kick out of it. But there’s quite a bit of the book that may not make sense to those who have not seen the show. So if you’re a fan, definitely check it out but otherwise, it’s not something I would normally share with young readers.

[Shanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s cute and I definitely got some of the references. But I kind of wondered if they couldn’t have done more with it. The show has so many cute storylines that could be made into something (like game night or Thanksgiving). It just seemed a bit simplistic compared to the other media tie-ins I have read. Rugrats, for instance, had the entire Chanukah episode featured. The characters were more fleshed out and not just like, “here’s the famous friend,” etc. Sweet drawings and fun facts, but it fell short for me.

[Rosie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute little storybook that introduces the six friends and touches on memorable moments from the show in really a sweet and kid-friendly way. I read this to my niece and she enjoyed the illustrations - especially seeing marcel with almost every Ross illustration. As a friends fan I really liked this book. I thought it would have more of a storyline to it (similar to the office storybook for kids) but I enjoyed the message that life is better with friends - I know mine is!

[Cristela T · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a children’s book, this is a 1 star. As a book for nostalgic millennials and gen xers who are fans of the the Tv Show Friends, this is a 3.5. The story is very basic…in a sense that there is no story at all. However, the illustrations are super cute and I loved seeing some of my favourite moments from the show in this format. I am rounding it up to 4 stars simply because I’m obsessed with Friends and I’m a nostalgic millennial.

[Kylie Dailey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this book was really cute. FRIENDS is my favorite show so I was excited to see what this was about. I am not sure how some parents may react just with the association to the show. But I think the message of the story was good and can be relatable to the kiddos. The pictures were very cute. A few of the pages I wasn't sure would be relatable (like when Chandler stays in the box).

[CGMartin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nostalgic but Short

I would have like each page to have a recap of the episode it is referencing. Maybe with a picture from the show. Cute rendition of the cast and breakdown of the characters and experiences. Worth it prob in print more than electronic; but there was a snow storm and I couldn't wait.

[Kandrea Cheney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I grew up watching FRIENDS with my mom and my brother. We always made a night out of it! I have watched the series over and over again . This picture book was very nostalgic for me... I remember all the scenes the illustrations allude to. I think children would enjoy this read as is teaches the lesson that the friends you choose in life are your family.

[Haysmith Angel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book. Growing up with this show it was nice to see it made into a story for children. The illustrations are amazing and bring so much character to the story. Highly would recommend to Friends fans that want their children to get a little early understanding on.

[Shelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish it were possible to give this book a 10 our of 5 stars! Reading through it with my daughter brought back so many fun memories of the year that we spent watching Friends together. Any fan of the show will squeal over each page. <3