Thank you to the BCCB for this lovely review! Love the discussion of Aimée’s beautiful art!
September 2026 issue
Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
Campbell, Marcy We Used to Be Friends; illus. by Aimée Sicuro.
4-7 yrs
[40p] • Candlewick, 2026 • ISBN 9781536236064
A young girl walks her dog past the house where her best friend used to live. Well, where she still lives—her friend didn’t move away, but they’re not pals anymore. They used to do all sorts of things together, like walk to school, eat ice cream, and play, but they also got into lots of fights, and sometimes the fights made them think about past arguments and hurt feelings, sparking more negative emotions. Dad tries to remind the girl that sometimes friendships just end and people drift apart, but the girl is still mad, believing the other girl to be at fault. Sometimes, though, she’s also very sad and worried she might not find another person to get close to. Slowly, she starts to make new friends and try new things, and the hurt of losing her best friend starts to ebb. The full range of the girl’s shifting emotions is captured in the mixed media art, with many of the larger full spreads carrying a cheerful airiness (such as when the two girls are sharing a tire swing) while tighter, more focused vignettes explore the complexities of childhood friendship, following the girl as she comes to terms with her new reality. The palette similarly amplifies feelings, as peaceful greens suffuse the scenes of the girl walking her dog through the neighborhood, contrasting later with a jumble of gray clouds encapsulating the heaps of things the two friends fought about, spilling over the pages as the girls tumble down. This picture book offers a compassionate look at an underrepresented but very common childhood milestone and reminds littles that it is okay, and perhaps even expected, that a relationship doesn’t last forever. JMM