Real to Me
Real to Meperfectly captures the joy and magic of friendship, the complicated feelings when friendship is lost, and the delight and wonder in discovering new friends. This book will stay in my heart forever, it is a modern classic!
Description
An acclaimed author and a Coretta Scott King Honoree pair up for this tender story about friendship and accepting change. Two best friends (one of whom is imaginary) are inseparable until the day when one of them unexpectedly disappears.
Others tried to tell me that she wasn’t real, that she was just imaginary.
But what did they know? She was real to me.
Then one morning... she was gone.
What do you do when your imaginary friend goes away? Did you dream up the entire friendship? Maybe... But you miss her laugh, her comfort, and her silly mischief. It all feels so real... you couldn't have just imagined those things, right?
Lush illustrations pair with touching text in this gentle picture book that illuminates the sweetness of first friendship, the sadness when it's lost, and the beauty in discovering new friends are just around the corner.
Praise for Real to Me
★ "Any youngster who has felt the pain of putting away childish things will find this an emotionally palpable, thoughtful story.” —The Bulletin, starred review
"Figueroa’s lush, electric, pulsating hues and colors bring the worldbuilding to life....the robust storytelling throughout will prove the book’s greatest lure." —Kirkus Reviews
"An insightful and delightful take on the imaginary-friend concept, while highlighting what it means to have—and be—a real friend." —Booklist
"This sweet story gently conveys the inevitable pains of changing relationships." —School Library Journal
“To Lê’s simply told, heartfelt reflection on childhood bonds, Figueroa adds two rich, unexpected dimensions: a dramatic, luminous visual universe, and a narrative twist likely to tweak readers’ initial assumptions about the imaginary.” —Publishers Weekly
"[A] heartwarming story." —The Horn Book
