Will You Be My Friend?

“A tender child-caregiver relationship—which hasn’t lost a bit of its appealing intimacy in the more than twenty-five years since its first appearance. . . . Readers are likely to love it to the moon and back.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Little Nutbrown Hare is out exploring on his own. Off he hops, along the path and through the grass, until he reaches Cloudy Mountain, where something extraordinary happens: he discovers a new friend. Now the fun can really begin! A quarter-century after we met the Nutbrown Hares, this enchanting tale about friendship from legendary duo Sam McBratney and Anita Jeram is capturing the hearts of Guess How Much I Love You fans—and everyone else—the world over.Jeram’s spacious, pale-toned, naturalistic outdoor scenes create a properly idyllic setting for this cozy development in a tender child-caregiver relationship—which hasn’t lost a bit of its appealing intimacy in the more than 25 years since its first appearance. As in the first, Big Nutbrown Hare is ungendered, facilitating pleasingly flexible readings. Readers are likely to love it to the moon and back.
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Twenty-five years after publishing evergreen bestseller Guess How Much I Love You, the collaborators offer a similarly resonant sequel in which Little Nutbrown Hare goes exploring alone when Big Nutbrown Hare is preoccupied...McBratney’s strategically spare narrative leaves ample space for children to personalize the tale, whose affecting affirmation of independence and friendship plays out with corresponding authenticity in Jeram’s airy ink and watercolor paintings.
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Recommended for purchase, this is a loving portrayal of a young child’s growing independence and the absolute bliss of finding a new friend.
—School Library JournalSam McBratney (1943-2020) is the author of the internationally best-selling classic Guess How Much I Love You and its sequel, Will You Be My Friend?, as well as All My Favorites, all illustrated by Anita Jeram. He also wrote Just You and Me and There, There, both illustrated by Ivan Bates, and Mindi and the Goose No One Else Could See, illustrated by Linda Ólafsdóttir,among many other books for children.

Anita Jeram is the illustrator of Guess How Much I Love You and You’re All My Favorites, both written by Sam McBratney. She lives in Northern Ireland.