ACHUKA

children's & YA recommendations on the go

You are here: Home / Archives for friends

How to Scare Blue Monster by Petr Horácek

By Leave a Comment

ACHUKA Book of the Day 8 Sep 2026

Publisher: Otter-Barry Books
ISBN: 9781915659897

See also:
Blue Monster [ACHUKA Book of the Day 11 Sep 2024]
Little Chick [ACHUKA Book of the Day 5 Mar 2024]
The Star Whale [ACHUKA Book of the Day 19 Sep 2023]
The Perfect Present [ACHUKA Book of the Day 1 Sep 2022]
A Best Friend For Bear [ACHUKA Book of the Day 8 Apr 2022]
Mister Boo! [ACHUKA Book of the Day 28 May 2021]
The Last Tiger [ACHUKA Book of the Day 15 Oct 2019]

Look how many times we have selected books by Petr Horacek as our Book of the Day selection. That show how much we love his work. And here we have a sequel to last year’s original Blue Monster title. 

Don’t you just love the expressions in this opening spread?

When something HUGE comes clumping through the forest, all the animals are scared. But it’s only their friend, Blue Monster. Blue Monster is surprised – he doesn’t even know what it means to be scared and he asks the animals to teach him!

Fox, Wolf, Racoon and the Rabbits try lots of scary tricks but nothing scares Blue Monster. Then clever Fox has an idea…

Next time Blue Monster goes out he is all alone. He calls out for his friends but nobody replies. What’s happened to them? In his worry for his friends, now Blue Monster really is scared. But the animals have just been hiding and BOO!, they jump out, ready to play. 

Follow Petr Horácek on

Tomorrow I’m in Charge! by Jörg Mϋhle tr. Melody Shaw

By Leave a Comment

ACHUKA Book of the Day 16 Feb 2026

Publisher: Gecko Press
ISBN: 9798765670538

“Mϋhle’s text, translated from German, is frank and straightforward, mirroring the bluntness of a child’s interactions and emotions, including Badger’s helplessness as he’s caught between the two battling friends. Spare watercolor and colored pencil illustrations set against stark white backgrounds match the tone of the text. Notably, this is no morality tale with a neat and tidy ending; rather, it’s a strong example of what not to do that honestly explores the consequences of jealousy and stubbornness. A candid and authentic glimpse at the rocky road that is negotiating social interactions.” KIRKUS

A charmingly comical picture book in which three forest friends debate vital childhood questions: who’s allowed to play, what game, and who decides…

When Weasel comes home, he can hardly believe his eyes: Bear and Badger are playing. But Badger is Weasel’s friend!
Badger suggests the three friends play together. But Bear and Weasel can’t agree on anything: not football, not memory, not hide and seek. Weasel never follows the rules. Bear always wants to be in charge.

Set in a charming outdoor forest house, this picture book is a  battle of wills between friends.

The Map of Me by Nicola Davies ill. Olga Shtonda

By Leave a Comment

ACHUKA Book of the Day 2 Feb 2026

Publisher: Bonnier Books Ltd
ISBN: 9781835871782

See also:
Green: The Story of Plant Life on Our Planet [ACHUKA Book of the Day 7 Feb 2024]
The Star Whale [ACHUKA Book of the Day 19 Sep 2023]
Out There In The Wild [ACHUKA Book of the Day 13 Sep 2023]
One World: 24 Hours On Planet Earth [ACHUKA Book of the Day 14 Apr 2022]
The Song That Sings Us [ACHUKA Book of the Day 2 Nov 2021]
The New Girl [ACHUKA Book of the Day 6 Oct 2020]

“It’s very special.” ReadingZone
“Would be a great tool in a primary classroom for mapping students’ worlds – even their past. The end spread is an activity for mapping the future, and there’s a QR code for more activities. The illustrations by Olga Shtonda will give plenty of inspiration.” BookTrust
“

 

 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

A post shared by @littlestoryhaus

A gentle story about moving, making connections and mapping a better world.\

When a young girl moves to a new country, her mum helps her draw a map to understand her unfamiliar surroundings. They draw the new neighbourhood, new friends and the special places the girl has found but important things from the past are missing like Grandma and Joe-Dog. So the girl makes the map bigger to include them.

Soon the girl’s friends are inspired to add their own stories and the distances between them all seem to shrink. Yet when misfortune strikes and the girl’s world is shown to be less fixed than she thought, how will she learn to navigate change?

Olga Shtonda is an award-winning illustrator from Kharkiv, Ukraine. You can follow her on

 

 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

A post shared by Olga Shtonda (@olga.shtonda)

Follow the author there as well:

 

 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

A post shared by Nicola Davies (@nicolakidsbooks)

Welcome by Alison Green ill. Axel Scheffler

By Leave a Comment

ACHUKA Book of the Day 11 Jun 2025

Waterstones
Bookshop

Would you like to come inside this book? You’re very welcome. In fact, everyone is welcome here, whether you’re big or small, flappy or jumpy, noisy or quiet.

With its simple text and endearing animal characters, Welcome shows how everyone can be a good friend, and how we can all help others to feel welcome.

Axel Scheffler’s fabulous, funny animals are the perfect ambassadors to show us all about friendship and togetherness: how to laugh together, play together – and, most importantly, how to make friends again after a quarrel!

Axel is much-loved for his characters such as the Gruffalo, Stick Man and Zog A donation from every copy of Welcome sold goes to Three Peas, a charity which supports refugees who have had to flee their homes.

A donation from every copy sold goes to Three Peas charity.

Twigs and Stones by Joy Cowley ill. Gavin Bishop

By Leave a Comment

ACHUKA Book of the Day 15 Apr 2025

Waterstones
Bookshop

“A perfect read-aloud.” SLJ

See also by Joy Cowley:
A Lot of Silly [ACHUKA Book of the Day 5 Dec 2024]
Good Night, Good Beach [ACHUKA Book of the Day 5 Jun 2024]

Snake and Lizard live together in a burrow in the desert. They are such good friends that Lizard decides to display their names above the burrow entrance.

But three small words can cause trouble between friends.

They must decide whose name should appear first. Then Lizard makes an unfortunate spelling mistake—he thinks it’s very funny but Snake is not laughing. Snake finds some spelling of her own that will teach Lizard a lesson!

The friends eventually find a way to put the argument behind them in this funny picture book that holds a mirror to our human flaws and reminds us that names and nicknames must be used with care.

Gecko Press publish some great children’s books. You can follow them on

 

 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

A post shared by Gecko Press (@geckopress)

Us in the Before and After by Jenny Valentine

By Leave a Comment

ACHUKA Book of the Day 3 Jul 2024

Waterstones
Bookshop

“Jenny Valentine’s novels offer an experience like no other. Never at a loss for an arresting phrase or an oJriginal insight, she takes her readers as far as they could wish to go and perhaps, for some, a little further than they might feel comfortable with. This present story of an ultimately doomed friendship between two very bright American teenage girls around forty years ago or so also weaves in theories drawn from the study of quantum physics.” Nick Tucker, BfK 5-star review

At the start of a long, hot summer best friends Elk and Mab face the fallout of a sudden death, and the lifelong consequences of a single tragic act.

An intensely emotional story that raises questions about love, ghosts, and the unshakeable bonds of friendship.

You can follow the author on :

 

 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

A post shared by Jenny Valentine (@jennyvalentinebooks)

Around the World with Friends by Philip Waechter tr. Melody Shaw

By Leave a Comment

ACHUKA Book of the Day 1 Jul 2024

Waterstones
Bookshop

A picture book with a really satisfactory story arc and illustrations that invite close inspection.

Raccoon finishes his book and is ready for his own adventure–he wants thrills, excitement and to conquer the sea!

He borrows everything he needs from his friends: a boat from Badger, who insists on coming along because you should never go on an expedition alone. Fox packs them eggs for the omelette–then must join to be the cook. Bear insists on coming to scare away the jellyfish, and Crow says he should be lookout.

The friends sail through rapids, collect sweet blackberries, chase away bees, and play soccer, until a little rain and thoughts of home bring their excursion to an end. That, thinks Raccoon, was the most thrilling magnificent adventure with friends I’ve ever had. Let’s go again soon–and next time we’ll bring the chickens.

Philip Waechter is a graphic artist and illustrator living in Frankfurt, Germany.
Follow him on :

The Dolls’ House by Tanya Rosie ill. Claudia Ravalli

By Leave a Comment

ACHUKA Book of the Day 6 Mar 2o24

Waterstones
Bookshop

A relatable heart-warming story. ACHUKA appreciates the presence of a in every spread :)
Read a profile of the illustrator – this is her first picture book.

One day Mia and her mum are walking home to their new house when they find a dolls’ house on the side of the road. It looks sad with its broken shutters and peeling paint, but Mia falls in love and takes it home to fix it up.

The next morning a little boy is looking at the dolls’ house on Mia’s porch. Soon more and more children arrive, and they spend the long summer days playing together. Just one child does not join in, and nothing Mia does can persuade him to overcome his shyness.

Then, one night, there is a terrible storm and the dolls’ house is damaged. Mia learns that kindness can come from the most unexpected places.

Follow Claudia Ravalli on :

 

 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

A post shared by Claudia G Ravalli (@claudia_illustrates)

Giraffe and a Half by Nicola Kent

By Leave a Comment

ACHUKA Book of the Day 14 Nov 2023

Waterstones
Amazon
Bookshop

Both the cover design and the title get this picture book off to a wonderful start.

Giraffe and a Half believes her difference stops her from making friends, but can Bird and a Third help her to overcome her shyness?

Giraffe and a Half has six legs and three ears, which is brilliant for dancing and listening, but not so good for making friends. But one day, playing on her own, she meets Bird and a Third, who knows that sometimes it’s our insecurities that hold us back the most. This delightful story will encourage children to embrace their differences.

Based on Nicola Kent’s own experiences as a child with disabilities, and her belief that although ongoing health issues can bring many challenges to life, having lovely friends doesn’t need to be one of them.

Follow Nicola Kent on

 

 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

A post shared by Nicola Kent (@nicolakent)

This video focuses on a different book but is nonetheless fascinating:

The Perfect Present by Petr Horacek

By Leave a Comment

ACHUKA Book of the Day 1 Sep 2022

Waterstones
Amazon
Bookshop

Petr Horacek can do no wrong! ACHUKA has been a fan of his inimical style for years. A Best Friend For Bear was an ACHUKA Book of the Day just a few months ago  (8 Apr) and he was Guest #21 in our lockdown Meet An Illustrator series.

Tom and Mot are best friends. On their birthday, Tom gives Mot a feather – but could it be a feather from the most spectacular bird in the world? Mot gives Tom a marble – or is it the smallest planet in the universe?

Tom would like to give a whale, a dolphin, a sea monster, an elephant, while Mot would give rivers, mountains, forests and even the sun! But after a joyful day playing together, what is the best present of all? This beautiful story of imagination and friendship is perfect for sharing.

Follow Petr on Instagram:

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Petr Horacek (@p.horacek_)