A timeless picture book for friends of all ages, The Girls celebrates kindness, supportiveness, and the power of true friendship. Winner of the Waterstones Children's Book Prize Illustrated Book of the Year 2019 Meet the girls: Sasha, Lottie, Alice, and Leela. These four best friends spend their days playing beneath the branches of their favorite apple tree. As the tree grows tall and reaches across the sky, so do they . . . . . . growing from little girls into big girls . . . . . . and from big girls into women! Through their shared secrets, dreams, worries, and schemes, their friendship grows ever stronger. Even when their adventures take them in different directions, the girls always stay rooted together. The Girls is a celebration of lasting friendship for every girl . . . big or little. PreS-Gr 2-Four little girls meet and become fast friends despite their differences. Lottie is adventurous, Sasha loves to help when someone hurts, Alice is a performer, and Leela always has the best ideas. Though there are spats and strains over time, they still remain the best of friends. While the theme of nurturing friendships is a positive one, the story itself lacks a central conflict. Instead, it is a look at the characters' friendships over time. The art is lovely and the palette appealing but it is difficult to discern who is who in each illustration. One standout scene shows the girls in a parade carrying rainbow flags; later, one of the characters, now a grown woman, is shown with her female spouse. VERDICT Outstanding picture books dealing with friendship abound: Mike Curato Little Elliot, Big City, Mo Willems's entire "Elephant & Piggie" series, Tad Hills's "Duck & Goose" books, and Philip and Erin Stead's A Sick Day for Amos McGee. This title is not an essential purchase for most children's collections. -Joan Kindig, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA Lauren Ace is from South Wales, studied drama at the University of Exeter, and now lives in London, where she has worked in publishing for ten years. An award-winning publicist, Lauren looked after Julia Donaldson during her tenure as Children's Laureate and has managed World Book Day campaigns and the announcement of Chris Riddell as Children's Laureate. The Girls is her debut picture book. You can follow her on Twitter at @LaceyPR. Jenny Løvlie is an illustrator and bird enthusiast from Ekkerøy, in northern Norway. She graduated with a BA in illustration and animation from Kingston University London in 2014. She draws a lot of inspiration from the Arctic landscape, flora, and fauna. Jenny is based in Cardiff, Wales.