Friends in Books

Pop Corn & Ma Goodness
by Edna Mitchell Preston; illustrated by Robert Andrew Parker (Viking Press).

On a rainy day when the hills are slippitty sloppetty, Pop Corn and Ma Goodness crack heads a-bippitty boppetty. Their unexpected meeting is just the beginning of a series of fun ippitty oppetties.

The Old Woman Who Lived in a Vinegar Bottle
by Rumer Godden; illustrated by Mairi Hedderwick (Viking Press).

A generous old woman and her fat cat live happily in an old house. One day she saves the life of a royal fish, and in return the fish offers to grant her anything she desires. With every request, the woman becomes more greedy and ungrateful, until finally she offends the fish and loses everything he has given her—except one very special favor.

Frog and Toad Together
by Arnold Lobel (Harper & Row).

Frog and Toad are best friends. They learn a lot about life and each other from their adventures together with dragons and giants, cookies, a list, a garden, and a dream.

Trouble River
by Betsy Byars; illustrated by Rocco Negri (Viking Press).

In the face of frightening danger, a young pioneer boy takes his old grandmother and injured dog for an unforgettable river ride on his homemade log raft.

Thy Friend, Obadiah
by Brinton Turkle (Viking Press).

A friendly sea gull follows a young Quaker boy everywhere. But it is only when the boy helps the bird that the two become real friends.

Tony’s Hard Work
by Alan Arkin; pictures by James Stevenson (Harper & Row).

When everyone tells Tony that he is too little to help remodel the family house in the country, he decides to take a walk and build his own gigantic house where everyone is always welcome to help.

William’s Doll
by Charlotte Zolotow; pictures by William Pene du Bois (Harper & Row).

William wants a doll, but his brother says that William will become a creep. The boy next door calls him a sissy, and his father brings other playthings to interest him. Then a visitor helps everyone realize a doll has a special place in the life of a boy.

From Pop Corn & Ma Goodness

From The Old Woman Who Lived in a Vinegar Bottle

From Frog and Toad Together

From Trouble River

From Thy Friend, Obadiah

From Tony’s Hard Work

From William’s Doll