As kids return to school and childcare, friendship is both their greatest desire and sometimes a source of confusion and hurt. Who gets to be included, what happens when a friendship has changed or what if a friend is different to everybody else? Picture books are a great resource to explore the benefits and the challenges of friendship in a gentle, reassuring way and here are some favourite recent releases on the topic.

Walter Had a Best Friend by Deborah Underwood and Sergio Ruzzier

The key to the main theme of this story is the word ‘had’ in the title. Walter and Xavier were best friends and they had a great time together, but slowly things changed, they drifted apart and then Xavier found a new friend. Walter goes through a range of emotions about the loss of his best friend, but eventually he learns to have his own adventures, at which point he makes a new friend!

This is a charming and wise story about the vicissitudes of friendship for ages 4 and up.

Pocket Treasure by Wenda Shurety and Juliana Oakley

This is an ode to the kids who love to fill their pockets with found treasures. Young Allira loves sharing the treasures that she discovers with her friends at school, but when she needs to find something special for her teacher’s birthday, she realises her pockets are empty. Luckily, all her friends who have received her pocket gifts come to the rescue.

This is a delightful story about the joy of sharing for ages 4 and up.

Remarkable Remy by Melanie Heyworth and Nathanial Eckstrom

Set during school time and while at play, the main character tells the reader about what they admire about Remy and all the ways their friend Remy is so special. Remy’s autism is championed as a positive attribute that helps them to see the world in a unique and different way to everyone else.

This is a sweet story that centres and normalises neurodiversity for ages 3 and up.

When Mino Took the Bus by Simona Ciraolo

Little Mino the chipmunk is now eight weeks old and must make his own way in the world. He gets on the bus to travel to his new home, and at every stop of the bus he discovers new friends who each show him something different. Mino has never had friends before, so this is a joyous and wondrous experience for him.

With gorgeous, soft pastel illustrations this is truly a friendship journey to celebrate for ages 4 and up.

Let’s Build a Boat by Jane Godwin and Meg Rennie

This vibrant picture book is about a group of children who creatively work together with a common goal of building a boat. It takes community spirit to work on the project together, overcoming setbacks and helping one another, until finally their boat is ready to set sail.

This is a charming story about the importance of working together to make ideas a reality for ages 3 and up.