By Christine McFaul
Friends are Friends Forever, is a new picture book (2021) written by Dane Liu and illustrated by Canadian artist Lynn Scurfield.
It is Lunar New Year’s Eve. Snow is falling. Grown-ups are bustling around the kitchen cooking silky noodles, crunchy vegetables, and batches of dumplings. Young protagonist, Dandan, and her best friend, Yueyue, are busy with their own New Year’s Eve tradition— - cutting snowflakes out of red paper and turning them into glistening frozen ornaments. For Dandan, New Year’s Eve has always been a special night. But this year, it is all the more special because it’s the last one she will celebrate in Northeastern China. The next day Dandan and her family are moving to America. Dandan has many worries about the people and traditions she will have to leave behind when she moves, but Yueyue is especially hard to say goodbye to. Dandan and Yueyue don’t know when, or even if, they will see each other again. But Yueyue reminds Dandan that no matter where they may end up, “friends are friends forever.”
For Dandan, life in America proves to be unfamiliar and lonely…at first. But when she remembers the parting gift that Yueyue gave her— - a stack of red paper to make their frozen snowflake ornaments— - Dandan finally finds a way to connects with a new friend. And though the next Lunar New Year’s Eve is not exactly like the one that came before, it is still special. It has become a hopeful mix of friends and traditions both old and new.
Liu’s writing is incredibly sensory, evoking the tastes, scents, sounds, sights, and feelings of each moment that she describes. The strength of friendship and tradition is a powerful force throughout the story and balances the author’s exploration of the complex and often bittersweet feelings associated with starting over in a new country. Liu also includes in her back -matter a personal note about her own immigration experience, as well as instructions for how to make an ice snowflake just like Dandan’s (my girls loved trying this one out!).
Scurfield’s illustrations are vibrant, soft, and full of energy. Packed with clever details and subtle emotions, she has a knack for pulling out just the right moments to bring to life— - the poignancy of a hug between two friends saying their goodbyes, a glistening ice ornament hanging from a tree, and family crowded around a table to celebrate traditions.
Friends are Friends Forever is a beautiful and hope- filled book. Given the age of the protagonist (though not stated, she appears to be about six or seven years old) and a slightly higher than average word count, I would recommend this book for the older end of the picture book age range.
Thank you to both Chronicle Books and Raincoast Books for the complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.