Jillian Tamaki (The Children's Book Podcast #585)

Jillian Tamaki (@dirtbagg) shares MY BEST FRIEND, written by Julie Fogliano. Jillian won a Caldecott honor for her art in THIS ONE SUMMER, a graphic novel written by Mariko Tamaki, her cousin. She later turned a lot of heads in a picture book she wrote and illustrated called THEY SAY BLUE. But in choosing to make the art for MY BEST FRIEND, Jillian shares that there was one line in the manuscript that definitely sealed the deal. In this story of best friends at first sight, one child narrates an encounter she has with another on the playground. The text is playful and light, but carries a weight of sincerity undeniable in childhood friendships. What Jillian brought to the story through her expressive art brings a sense of whimsy and play, and reiterates the feeling of the whole world slipping away when it’s just you and your best friend.

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ON TODAY'S EPISODE:

New York Times bestselling author Julie Fogliano and Caldecott Honor winner Jillian Tamaki come together to tell a delightful story of first friendship.

she is my best friend i think

i never had a best friend so i’m not sure

but i think she is a really good best friend

because when we were drawing

she drew me

and i drew her.

What is a best friend, if not someone who laughs with you the whole entire day, especially when you pretend to be a pickle? This pitch-perfect picture book is a sweetly earnest, visually stunning celebration of the magic of friendship.

SHOW NOTES:

Jillian Tamaki (Website)

Jillian Tamaki (Instagram)

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