  | Full Text Reviews: School Library Journal - 06/01/2015 PreS-Gr 2—The reliably inventive Rosenthal and Lichtenheld here reprise their elegant layers of simplicity found in Exclamation Mark (Scholastic, 2013) and Duck! Rabbit! (Chronicle, 2009). Using shapes as personified characters, the text explores axioms about friendship. With expressive eyes and mouths, a digitally colored red rectangle, green triangle, yellow square, and blue circle pose on spreads to illustrate concepts like "Friends make you feel at home." For this, the quartet poses with rectangle as a red carpet, square atop triangle to create a house shape, and circle rolling toward them with a grin. Each axiom in large black print is complemented by the characters' conversations, as when rectangle thanks triangle for his literal support for "Friends are always there for you to lean on." The finale shows them lined up vertically, rectangle-circle-triangle-square, to represent the word love. VERDICT This is a winning introduction to simple shapes and colors as well as a pleasing choice for children who will relate to the emotions and appreciate the visual puns.—Gay Lynn Van Vleck, Henrico County Library, Glen Allen, VA - Copyright 2015 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Booklist - 09/15/2015 Clever use of simple shapes—a circle, triangle, square, and rectangle, all rendered in muted red, blue, yellow, and green—illuminate the many aspects of friendship in the newest picture book from Rosenthal and Lichtenheld, the dependably skillful team known best for Duck! Rabbit! (2009). The shapes, representing four pals, are lit up by simple eyes and mouths and morph imaginatively into objects like a cheery home composed of the triangle and square. The rectangle acts as a red carpet laid out for the circle, making the point that “Friends make you feel at home.” In another spread announcing that “Friends know how to make their own fun,” the rectangle balances on the triangle to form a teeter-totter that the circle and square enjoy. On other pages, all the shapes form a smiley face and spell out the word love. Playful and pleasant, with a softly sunny background and emphatic bold type, the book asks little readers to look closely at composition, while delivering its simple message. Sure to be a hit. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Rosenthal and Lichtenheld always churn out successes. Expect this to be no different. - Copyright 2015 Booklist. Loading...
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