author/illustrator: Charlotte Zolotow, Benjamin Chaud
ages: 3+
44 pages
21.6 x 28 cm
hardcover
French
Comme des géants (Canada)
Sold: Italian, Simplified Chinese, French, Korean, Bosnian, Complex Chinese, Spanish (world), Dutch, English
The New Friend
A poignant evocation of childhood pain and jealousy at the desertion of a best friend, with a message of optimism and empowerment.
A child reminisces about the many moments of joy and playfulness he used to share with his dear old companion, who has, sadly, made a new friend. Feeling betrayed, the child gives in to his sorrow and anger.
Although his spirits are low, he also realizes that with loss comes the possibility of new beginnings.
"This all-too-common childhood experience is dramatized with an emotional honesty that, refreshingly, skirts sentimentality.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“A hopeful but not too neat story of a situation likely to be relatable to many.” — The Horn Book
BY THE SAME AUTHOR
THE ILLUSTRATOR
Benjamin Chaud was born in Briançon in the Alps in 1975. After losing all hope of ever succeeding in ski racing, he left to study drawing at the École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Appliqués in Paris and at the Arts Décoratifs in Strasbourg with Claude Lapointe.
A regular success - both with the public and critics - in France and abroad, he has illustrated over 70 books, translated in over 18 countries, including the series based on the character of ‘Pomelo’ (Albin Michel Jeunesse), ‘Une chanson d'ours’, ‘Adieu Chaussette’ or ‘La vérité sur mes incroyables vacances’ (Hélium).
A regular on the New York Times bestseller list, Benjamin Chaud won the gold medal from the New York Society of Illustrators and was a jury member at the Bologna International Children's Book Fair in 2015.