You Are Not My Friend, But I Miss You

June 16, 2014
Dog swipes Monkey’s red ball, and Monkey (who is actually a sock monkey with a tuft of red yarn for hair) decides that they’re through. After all, Monkey says, “Friends are supposed to share,” although from the looks of the spot illustrations that accompany this declaration of principles, Monkey’s idea of sharing is not very generous (whether the duo are snacking, teeter-tottering, or reading, Monkey also keeps the ball to himself). But never mind that, or as Monkey says in a moment of high dudgeon, “HAH!” Dog is obviously a bad friend, and Monkey has two perfectly good alternatives: find a new friend or play by himself. Kirk (the Library Mouse series) knows children’s sense of injustice, entitlement, and egocentrism like the back of his hand. His frequent use of bold, large-scale drawing captures Monkey’s equally outsize temperament, while the emphatic, minimal text is subtly poignant and supremely performable, with lots of typographic cues to pout, shout, and (finally) reconcile after Monkey realizes that, just maybe, “I wasn’t a good friend.” Ages 4–8. Agent: Barry Goldblatt, Barry Goldblatt Literary.

July 1, 2014
A sock monkey goes to the dark side, or as dark as a sock monkey can get, in Kirk's dovelike tale of dawning self-awareness.Readers meet Monkey on the first page. It is a close-up of his face, and he has a grump on. "You took my ball- / just like that! // You wouldn't give my ball back. You wouldn't share." That's four pages of text. Monkey does not mince words. "I had to grab it when you weren't looking! // Now I have my ball / and YOU cannot play with it anymore!" Indeed, "YOU cannot play with ME." Period, as it were. So Monkey goes about pretending he is having a good time with his ball. He will play by himself, with new friends (a houseplant, a rock and a worm) and even with the big dog-though the dog doesn't seem interested in playing. Kirk is all emotive and deliberate. Readers can feel the initial indignation and then its ebb as Monkey-and Kirk's digitally collaged artwork gives him not only plenty of pathos, but lots of wooly texture-feels the sting of his friend's absence. "Maybe I wasn't a great friend," Monkey comes to realize. Easy-peasy, Monkey. Kirk's skillfully paced mix of vignettes, close-ups and long shots guide readers smoothly through this emotional odyssey.There are no bad sock monkeys, not even the one or two who have forgotten themselves for a second. (Picture book. 3-7)

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September 1, 2014

PreS-Gr 1-Here, Kirk explores playground politics through the thoughts and feelings of an expressive sock monkey. Monkey and his best friend have a falling out when Dog takes his red ball and runs off. When Dog won't share, Monkey grabs the toy away from him and declares, "YOU cannot play with it anymore!" His moment of triumph is fleeting, however. Assailed by memories of all he has shared with Dog, poor Monkey tries to deal with his conflicting emotions. When his efforts to find a new friend fail, Monkey realizes that perhaps he hasn't been a great friend to Dog, either. Monkey approaches the blue and white pup and asks, "Will you come and play with me?" On the last page, the pals happily begin a game of catch. The digitized pen-and-ink illustrations add depth and texture to the story. The series of gracefully crafted spreads eloquently portrays the ups and downs of Monkey's emotional journey. Young readers will identify with the plush, huggable characters and sympathize with Monkey as he struggles to sort out his feelings. Pair this compelling story of friendship and the importance of sharing with Randall de Seve's Peanut & Fifi Have a Ball (Dial, 2013).-Linda L. Walkins, Saint Joseph Preparatory High School, Boston, MA

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 15, 2014
Preschool-G The sock-monkey protagonist of Kirk's latest is outraged that his friend Dog is playing with his red ball. Dog didn't ask permission, and Monkey has to wait to reclaim the ball. With the toy safely back in his grasp, Monkey goes on a tirade about how Dog would not share. As Monkey rants and raves and decides that it is better to play alone than with a friend who does not share, the illustrations reveal that Dog never shared the red ball because he could never before get his paws on it. In other words, the evidence shows that it is Monkey who is not good at sharing. Although Dog is part of the story, this is very much Monkey's monologue. Monkey dominates the digitally colored pen-and-ink illustrations, and the use of all caps and bold fonts emphasizes Monkey's intensity as he works his way from self-righteous indignation to lonely realization that he has not been a good friend. The book's message is hardly subtle, but children will relate to Monkey's epiphany that it takes two to share.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2015
Monkey is angry with Dog for taking his ball and refusing to share. Kirk's sock-animal characters are drawn in pen-and-ink and combined with digital renderings of knitted fabrics, casting them as a child's toys engaged in a child's argument. The emotional arc--from petulant fury to contrition--is similarly well fashioned, and kids will no doubt recognize themselves in Monkey.

(Copyright 2015 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)