Two Good Friends

by Judy Delton, Giulio Maestro (Illustrator)

Duck has an immaculate house but doesn't like to cook. Bear likes to cook but has a messy house. So the two friends share their talents.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Fiction, Animals

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1974

About the author

Born on May 6th in St. Paul, Minnesota, Judy Delton lived in her hometown for most of her life. She wrote more than one hundred books for children, including the popular Pee Wee Scouts series, which sold more than seven million copies. Her writing was often compared to Beverly Cleary or Carolyn Haywood for her ability to capture the essence of childhood.

For many years, Ms. Delton taught writing classes in her home. Today, those writers are having their own books published and remember her forthright instruction and critique with appreciation. Many writers have benefited from her handbook, The 29 Most Common Writing Mistakes and How to Avoid Them.

Ms. Delton had four children and decided to quit teaching so she could stay home and raise them. Writing prolifically was her way of supporting her family. She died very suddenly of a blood infection in December of 2001. Her legions of friends and all those she taught were greatly saddened.

Reviews

[karen]

one of my moms favorite books to read to me as a child, and i had to add it onto goodreads myself. i guess thats what happens when curious george and winnie the pooh are hated so much they become "banned" in the house and obscure substitutes must be found. but a good book - really!! i still love it!

[Stacey]

This was my favorite bedtime story when I was little.

[Lisa]

I love this book. I have been searching for it for over forty years. I was thrilled when I finally found it.

[Maggie Grebenz]

This is a great, though a little less modern, story of "opposites attract". The story revolves around Bear and Duck, who couldn't be more different. Duck absolutely loves to be clean, and because of all of the time he spends tidying up, he rarely has time to cook for himself. On the other hand, Bear's house is an absolute mess because he would rather spend his time cooking. Eventually, the two friends realize they can help each other in the areas that the other is less strong! Awesome story about friendship!

[Elisabeth Ensor]

This vintage children’s book was one of my all time favorites growing up. It’s a story about 2 friends: Duck and Bear. But their strengths are very different and they have to learn how to enjoy a friendship even though they don’t value the same things. Since I was a messy child I connect with Bear and would rather have a brownie then a clean kitchen- ha ha! But Bear’s friendship with Duck is special because they help each other and enjoy special time together when the work and cooking are done. Read this one, I know your kids will love it and treasure it like I have all my life!

[Liesl]

One of my favorite as a kid. I liked to keep things tidy and I liked baked goods. I still love this book.

[Kelly Chester]

What a great book the pictures were amazing and the theme was great

[E]

I like this quiet book! It has friends being understanding of each other's strengths and weaknesses, and it lays a foundation for an understanding of Spoon Theory.

[Aimee]

This is the very first book I ever read cover to cover by myself when I was 5 years old 😭😭😭😭

[Abbie Witt]

1. Identifying the appropriate genre: Picture Books

2. Review/Summary: Duck has an immaculately clean house but doesn't like to cook. Bear likes to cook but has a very messy house. So the two friends share their talents.

3. Rating: 5 Stars

4. Writing Trait: Two Good Friends includes many writing traits:
a. Ideas: The key points have a main message (friendship) and the details are interesting to the reader .
b. Organization: The story hooks the reader, has a purpose and logical structure, contains clear ideas and has a satisfying conclusion.
c. Conventions: The story is easy to read and it uses correct punctuation, grammar and proper sentence structure.

5. Usage for Classroom Instruction: This book could be read aloud in primary level elementary school (K-2). I would use this book for classroom instruction to teach about story structure and friendship. The story structure is clear in reading the story aloud (bear visits duck's house, duck visits bear's house and then the two help each other out). Friendship is a clear theme of this story; even though bear and duck are so different, they are friends and help one another out with their struggles (keeping a clean home and baking). Students could learn how to share and help one another out in the classroom.

6. Interest Level: K-2

7. Reading Level: Not Available

[Eva-Marie Nevarez]

This is a cute little story from about 4 years before I was born. Needless to say the illustrations are very obviously not what today's kids have come to expect but in the same way that a kid will sit and watch some old cartoons, old Tom & Jerry for example, they'll probably be okay with this.
Duck and Bear are great friends but duck is a neat freak and Bear is, well, not. Bear, on the other hand, is a very willing cook. Duck notices, and mentions, poor Bear's lack of cleaning ability while when Bear visits Duck he notices, and mentioned of course, Duck's lack of food.
The poor friends are so busy with the one thing they concentrate on they have no time for the other. One day while each is out, the other visits his friends home. Bear brings Duck backed goods while Duck cleans Bear's house. Both are surprised and very happy to have such a great friend.
Overall it's a cute, quick story that I think has stood the test of time. I can't claim it to me outstanding but it's worth a read in my opinion. Julia listened intently the whole time and said she liked it well enough.

[Marissa J.]

This book is about true friends and the lengths friends go through to make each other happy.

I find this book to be illustrated in a very intersting manner. The pictures look to have been done in colored pencil. This adds texture to the different illustrations. There are three main colors used throughout the book, grey, yellow, and red. This creates a non-intersting factor. The reader may become bored with the pictures but it would be helpful for beggining readers to read without added distractions.

[Olivia]

Duck has a nice clean house but does not like to cook. And bear loves to cook but have a very messy house. So the two friends team up and help one another out.


Reading Practice

Interest Level: Lower Grades (LG K-3)

Fiction/Nonfiction: Fiction

Topic-Subtopic: Relationships-Friendship; Animals-Duck; Animals-Bear

[Anne Beier]

Duck and bear are good friends. Duck is clean but doesn't have time to cook. Bear cooks lots of food and lives in a messy home. Each picks up the slack for the other and they learn from it. Good story about character and friendship.

[Don Gubler]

Sharing resources and talents.

[Joanna]

I first discovered this book when my children were small, but it continues as a favorite for me because it captures the essence of friendship!

[Lynda]

"What good is a clean house if you have nothing to eat?"

Two friends p00l their talents. Good lesson for children.