My Buddy, Slug

Alex and Slug are best friends. They do everything together--morning, noon, and night.

But does being best friends mean you have to be together every second?

Slug seems to think so! Alex tries to get some alone time--at the dentist, at the library, even playing sick--but Slug won't give him a moment to spare. Before long, Alex explodes--and Slug's feelings are bruised. Friendship isn't always easy!

It's time for Alex and Slug to figure out the meaning of "sorry"--and to learn that some folks are friends forever.

"Alex's best friend is not only nick-named Slug, he is a slug-a huge, orange Casper-the-ghost-like, cheerful slug. While no explanation is given for why Slug lives in a neighborhood of human beings, the fellow's irrepressible spirit adds humor to an otherwise familiar story of friendship. 'It used to be Slug, Kevin, and me-the unstoppable three,' says narrator Alex, but when Kevin moves away, Slug's clingy friendship begins to annoy Alex, who needs 'some alone time.' Slug's friendly face and slithery body nicely mirror his feelings throughout, and Krosoczka's illustrations skillfully highlight Slug's irritating but likable character. Slug is constantly talking ('And in math class, the teacher was all, 'Slug, turn around and be quiet' and I was all like, 'Sorry, Mrs. Hass' '). He blurts out the plot of a movie before they watch it, and even invites himself over to Alex's house-but he obviously means well. Krosoczka frequently adds more humor to the main text by including dialogue within the illustrations. While the two friends shop for clothes at the mall, for instance, the flame-toned Slug suggests, 'They're saying orange is the new black.' But when Slug overhears Alex tell his mother, 'I'm sick of him!' the friendship seems in jeopardy-until Alex says he's 'really, really, really sorry!' Despite the thinly veiled didacticism of the story ('Saying sorry is never easy'), this book about an unusual bond offers young readers insight into how a friendship can be restored with an honest apology. Ages 5-8." Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

Jarrett Krosoczka is the author of many popular picture books, including Punk Farm, Max for President, Annie Was Warned, Baghead, and Good Night, Monkey Boy. You can learn more about Jarrett and his books at www.studiojjk.com. The author lives in Boston, Massachusetts.