One of the things I love about going on outings with Ned is watching the way he interacts with other children, and adults for that matter. He is a very social little boy, it’s part of his personality but I think it is part of all children to be really open to meeting new people and making friends.
I love observing Ned watching other children and I can often see in his eyes the hope that they will notice him and talk to him, not in a sad way, just a hopeful, inquisitive way. He is never afraid to inch closer to another child and quietly join in to a game or garbled conversation.
Recently I have taken my favorite picture book about friendship off the shelf and I hope to start reading it to Ned soon. Leon and Bob by Simon James is a simple but really powerful picture book and one that won my heart the instant I read it.
Leon has moved house; he lives with his mum and his dad is away in the army. Leon is lonely so he creates Bob, an imaginary friend who only he can see.
‘He always walked to school with Bob.
He always had Bob to talk to.’
On Saturday Leon looks to the house next door and he sees a new family moving in and a boy just like him. Leon keeps thinking about the boy and decides in the morning to visit the boy but only if Bob goes too.
But Bob leaves Leon just as he is about to ring the door bell and Leon must summon up his courage to do it alone.
‘Leon rang the bell and waited.
The door opened.
“Hello,” said the boy.’
The ending to this beautiful picture book is just gorgeous as Leon makes a ‘real’ friend and guess what his ‘real’ friend’s name is…?
Simon James’ watercolour-and-ink illustrations are simply divine, his characters and settings are so realistic. I adore his use of light in the illustrations and the shadows that his characters cast. There is an image of Leon walking up the steps to the neighbour’s house – the steps and the house seem so huge and Leon so small with his little shadow beside him on the stairs. The elongated format of the picture book also helps give that sense of being small and longing.
Just like what I see in Ned’s eyes though, the story is not sad – it is happy and hopeful. The endpapers sum up the story perfectly, at the front of the book the park that spreads over the double page is quiet and empty and on the last double spread Leon and his new friend are playing soccer, gleeful to have found each other.
Simon James has written and illustrated many critically acclaimed beautiful picture books, he has a fantastic website which contains many of his lovely illustrations and a bio. I love this quote…
“Watching children draw, it is easy to see drawing as a natural joy, well beyond criticism or judgement. It’s a kind of conversation with one’s self.
Drawing is good for you.”
There are some really gorgeous picture books about friendship and I have many more favorites that I will write about over the next couple of weeks. But now I’m off to admire my Stephenie Meyer boxset that arrived from the US today – yippee!