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How I Made a Friend
Winner of the 2020 Purple Dragonfly Book Award - Best Picture Book That was my happy little world until... this kid showed up! Will is perfectly happy in his own creative world. When a new kid enters his life uninvited, his bubble is about to burst. But wait... Doesn't friendship come when you least expect it? A genuinely funny friendship story with adorable oddball characters everyone will love! Spoiler You'll be making crazy monster masks after reading this wacky picture book! What will children learn from this book? This children's book will encourage kids to seek meaningful friendships that can positively impact their growth. Making friends is not easy, especially for kids. No matter how different we feel, we can always find a special friend who is just like us when we decide to open up. Let's make awesome friends! BOOK 6 from the quirky series MY CRAZY STORIES - Children's book Age 5-8 Read also Book 7: The Good for Nothing Frogs on Respecting Nature and Wild Life . What makes My Crazy Stories series quite special is that it focuses on kids' character building by encouraging young readers to develop a deeper awareness of themselves and cultivate emotional confidence as they grow up. Enjoy reading!
52 pages, Paperback
Published October 1, 2020
About the author
Daniel Georges
10 books19 followersDaniel Georges discovered his flair for storytelling and Illustration at a young age. He passionately creates picture books that resonate with his understanding of the complexity of growing up. His fun series My Crazy Stories goes beyond cultivating imagination to supporting young readers in developing a deeper emotional awareness and self-confidence to better deal with the intimidating world surrounding them while growing up.
Daniel's books won the attention and endorsement of juvenile literature supporting organizations among which the Anna Lindh Euro-Mediterranean Foundation and the Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation Dubai. He also won the Purple Dragonfly Award for best picture book given by Story Monsters Ink Magazine, the renowned Children's books literary resource for teachers and school librarians across the USA. With great feedback from kids, parents and educators, MY CRAZY STORIES books are frequently featured in the All-Star Top 100 most read children's books on Amazon.
www.mycrazystories.com
Daniel's books won the attention and endorsement of juvenile literature supporting organizations among which the Anna Lindh Euro-Mediterranean Foundation and the Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation Dubai. He also won the Purple Dragonfly Award for best picture book given by Story Monsters Ink Magazine, the renowned Children's books literary resource for teachers and school librarians across the USA. With great feedback from kids, parents and educators, MY CRAZY STORIES books are frequently featured in the All-Star Top 100 most read children's books on Amazon.
www.mycrazystories.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
August 31, 2019
“Good friends always have secret code names.”
➽I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through Hidden Gems Books.
This was an adorably sweet book about a loner boy learning to let his guard down and excepting someone else into his solitary bubble and in him doing so gaining a wonderful friend in the prosses. I really love the meaning of this story, it would be a perfect book for teachers to read in the classroom to help kids who struggle with letting others in their boundaries. Really though this is a great gook for any parent to read their kids. I read this to my 5-year-old niece and she really enjoyed it :) This book also had us making our very own masks lol. The illustrations are truly wonderful too!
➽I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through Hidden Gems Books.
This was an adorably sweet book about a loner boy learning to let his guard down and excepting someone else into his solitary bubble and in him doing so gaining a wonderful friend in the prosses. I really love the meaning of this story, it would be a perfect book for teachers to read in the classroom to help kids who struggle with letting others in their boundaries. Really though this is a great gook for any parent to read their kids. I read this to my 5-year-old niece and she really enjoyed it :) This book also had us making our very own masks lol. The illustrations are truly wonderful too!
August 6, 2020
The illustrations were beautiful and the story was perfect in explaining to kids that it was ok to be different and wait to be friendly with the person who shares your interests. Enjoyed it.
July 1, 2020
My child is a pronounced introvert. He is wary of new acquaintances and prefers loneliness.
But it seems to me that it is important to develop social skills in a child and teach them how to interact with other children. Friendship and communications with peers is a thing that parents cannot replace.
“How I made a friend” by Daniel Georges is a wonderful story that shows how unexpectedly-wonderful friendship can be if you allow yourself to let someone into your world.
The watercolor illustrations are beautiful. They are very emotional and alive. Characters are really interesting.
I really recommend this book for kids 6-7 years old. It's not too long and really good for learning to read aloud.
But it seems to me that it is important to develop social skills in a child and teach them how to interact with other children. Friendship and communications with peers is a thing that parents cannot replace.
“How I made a friend” by Daniel Georges is a wonderful story that shows how unexpectedly-wonderful friendship can be if you allow yourself to let someone into your world.
The watercolor illustrations are beautiful. They are very emotional and alive. Characters are really interesting.
I really recommend this book for kids 6-7 years old. It's not too long and really good for learning to read aloud.
September 1, 2019
Amazing book with great pictures
July 10, 2024
Wally doesn't like to play ball or whatever. He just likes to stay in his room and make monster masks. He likes being alone with his sidewalk and his park and his bedroom. But then another kid comes, and this kid walks on the sidewalk and reads in the park and even goes into Wally's room. But then something unexpected happens. (or maybe it's not so unexpected if you've read the title of this book).
This strikes me as a useful book that parents and teachers can use to encourage children to think about what makes a good friend and how one makes friends. It's pretty forgettable, though.
This strikes me as a useful book that parents and teachers can use to encourage children to think about what makes a good friend and how one makes friends. It's pretty forgettable, though.
September 19, 2020
*WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU LEMONS* 🍋🍋🍋
Sometimes life gives you things that you may deem unwanted and even unnecessary.
Did you ask for them? No.
Do you care to have them around you? Most certainly not!
But sometimes, we don’t always know what we need until it shows up. And that just happens to be a friend, who might be a lot like you...and understand you more than anyone else. Those are the types of lemons, I find, make the best lemonade...ever.
3.25 lemon flavored stars!
Sometimes life gives you things that you may deem unwanted and even unnecessary.
Did you ask for them? No.
Do you care to have them around you? Most certainly not!
But sometimes, we don’t always know what we need until it shows up. And that just happens to be a friend, who might be a lot like you...and understand you more than anyone else. Those are the types of lemons, I find, make the best lemonade...ever.
3.25 lemon flavored stars!
August 9, 2020
Two Loners Become Friends.
This is a delightful story of how two very different and loner-type boys become friends. We meet the first one, Will, as he is ensconced in his room drawing and making masks while other boys play outside. We learn of his solitary days, how he likes to go to school early so he has the street to himself and how he goes to the park alone after school and plays with his masks. A new boy, Olly, shows up in town who seems to be everywhere that Will wants to be. His favorite haunts are forever changed by the presence of another. It gets even worse when his parents invite the new boy's parents over for dinner. Will gets the idea that he will try to scare Olly with his masks, but the little boy just laughs. It turns out the books he likes to read in the park are monster books! And Olly tells Will how to make the masks scarier. They suspended the evening doing this. Over the next couple of days, they enjoy playing with the masks in the park after school. They also enjoy walking to school together and sharing monster books.
The author writes with an easy, breezy style that would be immediately relatable for any child of the age range this book is meant for. He alters the size and look of the fonts to make things interesting. The book is somewhat interactive in two ways. First, you can double-click on any text, and a larger text box will open so you can read that text more easily. The pages where the boys are playing with the masks they've altered look really cool in my Kindle app. I don't know how the author pulled it off, but turning pages makes it look as if only the masks change (and the words, of course). The rest of the scene stays completely the same. It's a really cool effect. Of course, too, the message about friendship is wonderful. It shows how much friends can add to different experiences in life. Highly recommended.
My book blog: https://www.readingfanaticreviews.com
This is a delightful story of how two very different and loner-type boys become friends. We meet the first one, Will, as he is ensconced in his room drawing and making masks while other boys play outside. We learn of his solitary days, how he likes to go to school early so he has the street to himself and how he goes to the park alone after school and plays with his masks. A new boy, Olly, shows up in town who seems to be everywhere that Will wants to be. His favorite haunts are forever changed by the presence of another. It gets even worse when his parents invite the new boy's parents over for dinner. Will gets the idea that he will try to scare Olly with his masks, but the little boy just laughs. It turns out the books he likes to read in the park are monster books! And Olly tells Will how to make the masks scarier. They suspended the evening doing this. Over the next couple of days, they enjoy playing with the masks in the park after school. They also enjoy walking to school together and sharing monster books.
The author writes with an easy, breezy style that would be immediately relatable for any child of the age range this book is meant for. He alters the size and look of the fonts to make things interesting. The book is somewhat interactive in two ways. First, you can double-click on any text, and a larger text box will open so you can read that text more easily. The pages where the boys are playing with the masks they've altered look really cool in my Kindle app. I don't know how the author pulled it off, but turning pages makes it look as if only the masks change (and the words, of course). The rest of the scene stays completely the same. It's a really cool effect. Of course, too, the message about friendship is wonderful. It shows how much friends can add to different experiences in life. Highly recommended.
My book blog: https://www.readingfanaticreviews.com
August 16, 2020
Very good book
I recommend this book to read to learn how to make friends. It’s good for everyone. It was hard to read because it was written in small form. But it was interesting.
I recommend this book to read to learn how to make friends. It’s good for everyone. It was hard to read because it was written in small form. But it was interesting.
October 16, 2020
Wally likes to be alone. He has fun all by himself walking to school, making masks and going to the park. That is until Oliver shows up and changes everything!
This story is very funny but accurately shows one of the many different ways we all have made friends over the years.
Colorful illustrations and snappy dialogue make this book enjoyable to kids and adults. Mr. Georges has created another amazing installment to his wonderful series.
This story is very funny but accurately shows one of the many different ways we all have made friends over the years.
Colorful illustrations and snappy dialogue make this book enjoyable to kids and adults. Mr. Georges has created another amazing installment to his wonderful series.
August 8, 2020
Cool book for quiet kids
This book is helpful to make my kids understand why making friends is important and how to make friends. I like the part that mentions, spending time together doesn't mean speaking to each other all the time.
The book is colorful and my elder kid enjoy reading it. This is recommended to read at the time of back to school.
This book is helpful to make my kids understand why making friends is important and how to make friends. I like the part that mentions, spending time together doesn't mean speaking to each other all the time.
The book is colorful and my elder kid enjoy reading it. This is recommended to read at the time of back to school.
August 8, 2020
Charming and straightforward
Some books written for children try too hard. A good book doesn't have to — and this is a good book. The characters are adorable and relatable. I will be reading this book to my grandchildren, and myself, over and over,
Some books written for children try too hard. A good book doesn't have to — and this is a good book. The characters are adorable and relatable. I will be reading this book to my grandchildren, and myself, over and over,
August 7, 2020
This is a cute children's book about sharing and making friends.
September 28, 2020
I really enjoyed this story. A story about friendships and shared interests. William never liked joing in with other people and liked to be alone. That was until he met Oliver who shared his interest of monsters and they gradually became great friends. A good story to use with a class, you could use this story to get children to talk about their own friends, describing hobbies they have with their own friends and for an art lesson you could get a class to make their own masks.
August 10, 2019
While we recently received an ARC of this book it already has a special place in my family's heart. What captured us? Will it do the same to you and yours?
My 8 year old is a reluctant reader. I am an avid reader. My husband is a writer. We are all artistic introverts with a few friends who Get Us. My son hasn't found his tribe yet. Not really. He's happy in his world of make believe creatures and mazes...but I know he wishes he had someone to share code names with.
When I read him this book his eyes sparkled --magic was afoot! Someone understood! Boo, it was an annoying kid. He knew about those from parkour. Everyone loves Parkour but not beating Zelda on triple master mode. Or drawing puzzles. Meme monsters. Nope. The fun courses and laugh. Then say see yah next week. They are once-a-week friends. The book talks about the childhood friend you will remember forever.
How I Made a Friend is great for expressive reading AND your adult BFF who gets you for being you...just like you get them.
I have carried a vampire stake in my purse for years now. Why? ....Why don't you? What's something unique about you that your Lirpa knows about but we don't?
+totally honest review!
My 8 year old is a reluctant reader. I am an avid reader. My husband is a writer. We are all artistic introverts with a few friends who Get Us. My son hasn't found his tribe yet. Not really. He's happy in his world of make believe creatures and mazes...but I know he wishes he had someone to share code names with.
When I read him this book his eyes sparkled --magic was afoot! Someone understood! Boo, it was an annoying kid. He knew about those from parkour. Everyone loves Parkour but not beating Zelda on triple master mode. Or drawing puzzles. Meme monsters. Nope. The fun courses and laugh. Then say see yah next week. They are once-a-week friends. The book talks about the childhood friend you will remember forever.
How I Made a Friend is great for expressive reading AND your adult BFF who gets you for being you...just like you get them.
I have carried a vampire stake in my purse for years now. Why? ....Why don't you? What's something unique about you that your Lirpa knows about but we don't?
+totally honest review!
December 12, 2024
An excellent story with fabulous pictures that really bring it to life, this children's book about making friends is a great read. I read it with my nieces and they really enjoyed it too. My older niece said she particularly liked that it showed how you shouldn't judge things on appearances, and that it's good to make friends as you can have fun together. My younger niece especially liked the masks, and the way they were used in the park, and the way the boy described the world as dancing around him, as she feels like that too. They both agreed it's a good story and that they think other children would like it too, and it's easy to read either on your own or with your friends or family (especially if you have a cool auntie like me!).
NB I received a complimentary copy of this book, but I always give an HONEST review based wholly on my own opinions
NB I received a complimentary copy of this book, but I always give an HONEST review based wholly on my own opinions
December 26, 2019
This is my first time reading a book in this series. William is a shy, introverted child. He likes to stay in his room drawing monster masks. He prefers to walk to school and play in the park alone.
One day, a new kid moves into the neighborhood. This boy seems to be everywhere William goes. To make matters worse, William’s parents invite their new neighbors to the house. William is forced to take the boy to his room. He tries to scare the boy but receives a totally different reaction. Does William have his solitary world turned upside down?
The illustrations are expressive and fun to explore. This book is a good choice for parents and teachers who want to encourage shy children to explore new friendships. It can be read to younger children and read aloud independently by children a bit older.
One day, a new kid moves into the neighborhood. This boy seems to be everywhere William goes. To make matters worse, William’s parents invite their new neighbors to the house. William is forced to take the boy to his room. He tries to scare the boy but receives a totally different reaction. Does William have his solitary world turned upside down?
The illustrations are expressive and fun to explore. This book is a good choice for parents and teachers who want to encourage shy children to explore new friendships. It can be read to younger children and read aloud independently by children a bit older.
April 23, 2020
Such an adorable story for both children and adult introverts who enjoy being alone. This story is about Willy, who likes to spend his time by himself in his room making masks and playing with them in the park. One day another child moves to town and unknowingly invades Willy's space. Aggravated and annoyed, Willy is forced to spend time with him at a playdate which blossoms into an unexpected friendship. As someone who has been introverted her whole life, I really related to this story. I enjoy waking up early to walk alone to work then coming home to spend time in my room by myself. Being alone doesn't always mean you are lonely. And there are plenty of times where I have made friends in the most unlikeliest of places. I would love to read this book to my preschool class because even though they are so young, there are plenty of children who are happy to play alone or with a friend.
April 26, 2020
i am having such a trouble to pick a fave from these 6 books??! they are so fun. happy. colorful. sort of comic-like? maybe if i had thinking about which one is most silly ... because adult kid Beth here ... i love silliness ... so probably i would pick: "WHAT YOU GONNA DO WITH ALL THAT BELLY?" go check these reads out. enjoyable fun!!
May 28, 2021
A. Friend in Need
Willy needs a friend, but doesn’t know it until he meets Olly. Up until then, he’s content in his own little world. When Olly enters his life, he finds out how important and how much fun a friendship can be. Nice bright illustrations and well written.
Willy needs a friend, but doesn’t know it until he meets Olly. Up until then, he’s content in his own little world. When Olly enters his life, he finds out how important and how much fun a friendship can be. Nice bright illustrations and well written.
September 5, 2019
Introverted Friends
I love this story and the Illustrations are so fitting! As an introvert, I really connected with this story. People can ruin "alone time", but if you can find someone to enjoy the "alone time" with you, that's even better 😃
I love this story and the Illustrations are so fitting! As an introvert, I really connected with this story. People can ruin "alone time", but if you can find someone to enjoy the "alone time" with you, that's even better 😃
December 3, 2019
Love it! Storytelling without preaching
And now I’m inspired to give this to my soon-to-be-four-year-old niece for her birthday, along with some art supplies for making her own monster masks. I can’t wait to read this author’s other books!
And now I’m inspired to give this to my soon-to-be-four-year-old niece for her birthday, along with some art supplies for making her own monster masks. I can’t wait to read this author’s other books!
January 30, 2021
A cute story with nice illustrations. I really liked this book. A couple of loners become friends, surprising even themselves when they learn they have many things in common. Another case of don’t judge someone too soon.
January 5, 2020
Making Friends
Sometimes it is hard to make new friends, especially if you really enjoy being alone. But sometimes being alone with someone else is even better.
Sometimes it is hard to make new friends, especially if you really enjoy being alone. But sometimes being alone with someone else is even better.
December 24, 2019
I have a friend like Olly
Sometime we don't want to be around people but sometimes we do!!
That's why we have friends to talk to
Sometime we don't want to be around people but sometimes we do!!
That's why we have friends to talk to
Read
January 17, 2021A story on making friends with the new kid and finding your spooky tribe. Cute story.
The only thing I didn’t like about this book was that the boys scared the stray cats. Poor kitties.
The only thing I didn’t like about this book was that the boys scared the stray cats. Poor kitties.
April 14, 2022
William always did just fine on his own. He was never one for sports or games. He found peace all alone in his room working on his masks. But one day, a new kid showed up, and Will saw him everywhere. To be friendly, Will's parents invited the new boy, Olly, over for dinner, but Will was not too keen on having people in his space. So, he hid in the dark, and when the boy came upstairs, Will jumped out and screamed as loud as he could. Instead of being frightened, Olly laughed and offered a few suggestions on how to make Will's mask even scarier. Olly loved scary movies just like Will! So the two of them began hanging out every day, and Will learned that happiness can be shared with other people too.
I thought this story was so sweet, and I love how it conveys the importance of having these kinds of friendships. As an introvert, I know how easy it is to isolate and keep all of your happiness for yourself, but this book shows how wonderful it can be to share these experiences with a friend. I wasn't a huge fan of the illustrations, so I only gave this book four stars. Something about the colors and proportions took away from the playful feeling that the text was trying to convey. However, I really enjoyed this book, and I think a lot of elementary students will too!
I thought this story was so sweet, and I love how it conveys the importance of having these kinds of friendships. As an introvert, I know how easy it is to isolate and keep all of your happiness for yourself, but this book shows how wonderful it can be to share these experiences with a friend. I wasn't a huge fan of the illustrations, so I only gave this book four stars. Something about the colors and proportions took away from the playful feeling that the text was trying to convey. However, I really enjoyed this book, and I think a lot of elementary students will too!
September 19, 2020
When life gives you lemons...
Sometimes life gives you things that you made deem unwanted and even unnecessary. Did you ask for them? No. Do you care to have them around you? Most certainly not! But sometimes, we don’t always know what we need until it shows up. And that just happens to be a friend, who might be a lot like you.
Sometimes life gives you things that you made deem unwanted and even unnecessary. Did you ask for them? No. Do you care to have them around you? Most certainly not! But sometimes, we don’t always know what we need until it shows up. And that just happens to be a friend, who might be a lot like you.
February 21, 2023
This book is about an oddball kid who enjoys his alone time and doesn't feel as if he fits in. Then when he least expects it he meets a kid who was like him, and they begin to form an unexpected friendship. I really liked this book because it described an unexpected friendship that blossomed a lot and I thought it was awesome how these two were brought together through uncertainty.
May 22, 2024
Fun book about making friends
This is a fun book about a kid who enjoys his own company but eventually meets a friend who likes the same things. The illustrations are wacky and fun. Kids will enjoy this book.
This is a fun book about a kid who enjoys his own company but eventually meets a friend who likes the same things. The illustrations are wacky and fun. Kids will enjoy this book.
June 14, 2024
Couldn't read because I couldn't enlarge the print
I have no idea if this is a good book because of the way it was formatted. Most ebooks are formatted so you can enlarge the page but I couldn't with this book, therefore I couldn't read it because the print was too small.
I have no idea if this is a good book because of the way it was formatted. Most ebooks are formatted so you can enlarge the page but I couldn't with this book, therefore I couldn't read it because the print was too small.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews