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Jennifer Starkman
, July 07, 2007
(view all comments by Jennifer Starkman)
So begins the sweet, funny, lighthearted story of a little boy who each day brings a different animal friend to visit with his pals, the King and Queen, and the inevitable antics which ensue.
It?s strange to me how so many fairly mediocre stories are prized as ?classics? of children?s literature, when truly wonderful stories such as May I Bring A Friend?, which have stood the test of time so beautifully, are never really promoted the way they ought to be. Beatrice De Regnier writes with a wonderful, slightly off-kilter rhyme scheme perfectly designed for the pauses and emphases that make a story great for reading aloud, and Beni Montresor?s minutely detailed and varied illustrations (some black-and-white, some black on a single-coloured background, and some saturated with a handful of rich, complementary colours) will have children poring over them to see every little bit of what is going on in the story.
May I Bring A Friend? is a true classic?a book which never feels dated or tired, but has continued to provide laughs to children and for over 30 years.
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