Best friends Annie and Lillemor have many things in common: they are both seven years old, are particularly fond of pink and purple, and are bilingual (Lillemor knows Swedish, and Annie is uniquely fluent in “Oinky Boinky”). When Annie spies her bestie jumping rope and laughing with someone else in the schoolyard, the droll narration relays, she “doesn’t like the look of this at all.” As she guardedly speaks to her pigtailed rival, Lilianne, her spirits sink. Much to Annie’s chagrin, not only does the interloper’s name start with “Lil,” she is also partial to shades of rose and violet, and, most crushing, she can parle français. The fretting is proven to be for naught when Annie realizes they all share the same interests, and three isn’t a crowd after all.

Lori Joy Smith’s digitally enhanced pencil-crayon illustrations have plenty of quirky personality. The body language of the characters is perfect. Freckle-faced Lillemor and pink-spectacled Annie are so inseparable, even their feet remain touching when they do headstands on a sofa. When Annie is overcome with jealousy and feels left out, she crosses her arms and disappears beneath the cat-eared hood of her sweatshirt. The warm resolution is captured in the final image of the three kindred spirits linked arm in arm.

Toronto author Annika Dunklee (My Name is Elizabeth!) adeptly explores the trials and tribulations of childhood with honesty and wit. Presented in speech bubbles, the girls’ dialogue is true to life and full of enthusiastic concurrences of “Me, TOO!” Translations of French, Swedish, and, yes, Oinky Boinky appear on the side of the pages. Cultural backgrounds are effortlessly shared as the girls sample Lillemor’s Swedish blueberry soup and Annie’s signature delicacy of maple syrup on toast.
This beguiling story about navigating the often tricky terrain of friendships old and new will undoubtedly resonate with young readers.