New Children’s Books About Unlikely Friendships

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Friendship is such an important part of children’s lives. And that’s precisely why it’s such an important part of children’s books. Friendship is truly where so much of the drama, as well as the triumph and love, happens between children’s book characters. This is especially true in stories about unlikely friendships. Whether friendships are unlikely because of personality, character traits, or even species, there is an inherent tension in stories where there is some kind of perceived obstacle to characters becoming friends. It’s basically the same reason enemies to lovers is so popular in romance novels.

The following four books range from picture book to middle grade, were published within the last year, and all feature unlikely friendships. Some are funny, like the relationship between an owl who likes to stay up all night and a bird who prefers to wake up early. Some are sweet and poignant, like the story of a rescue dog who befriends an orphaned cheetah cub, and another where a young girl is best friends with a lion. And some are a little bit of both, like a picture book about a shy boy who creates friends out of inanimate objects in the classroom instead of reaching out to his classmates. All are beautiful stories that examine friendship from thoughtful and interesting angles.

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My Lion Friend by Mao Yang

This book tells the story of a friendship that develops between a young girl and a lion. They do many things together, like go to the playground and imaginatively play with cardboard boxes. Sometimes, they get mad at each other—especially when Lion eats all the cookies. But they always make up with a big hug. The story never addresses why or how a girl became friends with a lion, adding an air of mystery. But mostly, this book portrays a very gentle relationship between two unlikely friends.

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Make New Friends by Joshua David Stein, illustrated by Mariachiara Di Giorgio

When Tomasso’s dad pressures him to make new friends at his new school, he develops an imaginative solution by creating identities for classroom objects like Roland the foam ball and Karen the pink eraser. Only, he lets his dad think these friends are other kids in the class. But his plan starts to unravel when his dad wants him to invite all his new friends over to the house for pizza. He doesn’t know if his dad will be mad when an empty milk carton shows up instead of another elementary school student. This book is sweet and a little silly at the same time. It’s perfect to read for anyone struggling with loneliness, social anxiety, or going through a big transition. And the story shows how imaginary friends can still be very real to children.

Night Owl and Early Bird by Lauren Fornoles, illustrated by Xiao

This early reader about two friends evokes the classic children’s book duo Frog and Toad. In a series of short chapters, Night Owl and Early Bird must figure out how to stay friends despite being very different from each other. In fact, they are so different that they are on literally opposite schedules. But between the beautiful watercolor illustrations and high-frequency words, a lesson emerges that friends can be very different and still love each other. And reading about their compromises is part of what makes this story, independently published by a certified literary specialist, so fun to read!

The Unlikely Tale of Chase and Finnegan by Jasmine Warga, illustrated by Vivienne To

Chase and Finnegan are improbable friends. Not just because Chase is a cheetah cub and Finnegan is a rescue dog, but because they have both experienced real hardship and have trouble trusting anyone. Finnegan also has a long history of hating all cats. But when the injured rescue dog accompanies his new caregiver to her job at the zoo, Finnegan warms to baby Chase. And they begin to develop a brotherly friendship. Now Finnegan must help Chase get the confidence to perform in an educational program at the zoo. This story is heartwarming in every sense of the word.

If you want more friendship-themed children’s books take a look at this longer list of children’s books about friendship from a few years ago or this round up of best friend books.