In this story about the joy, poignancy, and devotion of friendship, Sofia and May live right next door to each other with only a gate between their yards. Their friendship flourishes "across two yards through the open door."

When they venture out beyond their yards in springtime, they discover fields of sourgrass. That summer they giggle, roll, race, and play in the fields. Even their stuffed animals — a mouse and a goose endearingly drawn by Shahrzad Maydani — dance with them. The girls agree they are "best friends forever," and sourgrass becomes for them "the sweetest plant ever."

What a shock, then, when one day May moves away! She leaves her goose with Sofia. At first the girls exchange a flurry of drawings, but after a while the mailbox becomes empty and Sofia wonders, "Did May forget me? Will she ever write back?" The goose and the mouse gaze out the window at the barren, snowy yard.

What makes this book exceptional is the poetic delicacy with which author Hope Lim handles this absence, supported by Maydani's art — for instance, the mouse tugging Sofia's hand to draw her into the yard when Spring returns, still without her having heard from her friend. There's no quick, easy reunion or answer. We are left instead with a more convincing symbolic natural miracle to remind Sofia of their connection, followed by a sign of something brand new.

For children up to age eight, this book is the perfect introduction to both the heartbreak and the heart-strength inherent in true friendship. It also points to the wonders of keeping your heart open no matter what happens.

Author Hope Lim has always loved language and for many years navigated the world of diplomats, working as an interpreter for the U.S. State Department. Then motherhood ushered her into the world of children's literature. She continues her love of language by writing stories, often inspired by her children, and tries to translate her inner child's emotions into words. She has beautifully done so here.

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