This book appears to be for very young children given how repetitive and simple the words and sentences were throughout the book. I thought the sans-serif font was helpful for low vision readers, the illustration style was homey and warm, and it was generally developmentally appropriate for the audience. I can’t say I was a fan of the amount of white space on the page - it made it feel a bit empty and lacking, really only a few pages were full-page illustrations, which I think is largely what captures a very young child’s attention. I was concerned throughout the book that there was no interaction or supervision by the parents - it would be more appropriate to show the parents introducing the children to Max’s family. I also wasn’t impressed by the lack of diversity in the book. What I did appreciate the most was the addressing of a very common theme among siblings which is the potential for separation or being made less important when an outside person is introduced into their life. I think this would open up a great conversation between siblings reading this book. Overall, an okay book!

Thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc of this one in exchange for an honest review!

This book follows two sisters, Maddie and Mabel. They are best friends and they play together all the time. When a new kid moves in next-door, Maddie and Mabel decide to try and make a new friend.

This book was really cute! I liked the different messages and the different emotions that the kids felt. I think a lot of kids can relate to this book and it teaches some good lessons about friendship and sisterhood.

I also really enjoyed the illustrations and I think other kids will like them as well. I’ve seen other books from this series and I think a lot of kids will like this one!