A Friend is a Friend is a Friend

Written by Sara O'Leary

Illustrated by Qin Leng 

Groundwood Books

978-1-77946-026-4

32 pp.

Ages 3–6

April 2026 

 

A concern for many children entering a new situation, whether a new school, a new sports activity, or even a new neighbourhood, is whether they'll make any new friends. For this child, heading off to camp, the worry is very real, but she's hopeful of learning some new strategies from her peers.

From A Friend is a Friend is a Friend, written by Sara O'Leary, illustrated by Qin Leng

Without ever asking a question—or does she?—a little girl gets different perspectives from other children. As the diverse and colourfully dressed children play on a massive tree, they are quoted about their friends and the basis for those friendships. The first piece of advice is about asking questions because that's how you learn if you have things in common with others. It might be a birthday, a favourite colour, or the need for quiet.

From A Friend is a Friend is a Friend, written by Sara O'Leary, illustrated by Qin Leng

The variety of their experiences is rich, as are the friends they have. For one child, their best friend is their grandfather because they share stories. It could be a friend who supports you or one that you appreciate for the type of person they are. There are children who don't speak the same language but understand each other just the same. There is a child whose friend was a he and is now a she and that's okay since they still like doing the same things. There is a shy child, lifelong friends, and one who has an invisible friend. There are so many children, and they all make friends differently and make different friends. The richness of their experiences is only matched by the individuality of their friendships.

From A Friend is a Friend is a Friend, written by Sara O'Leary, illustrated by Qin Leng

Sara O'Leary, author of A Family is a Family is a Family (2016) and A Kid is a Kid is a Kid (2021), gets to the heart of friendships by showing children that there is no right way to make a friend and be a friend. Her message is one of joy in the diversity of who we are and how we make friends. Without telling kids how they can make friends, she allows children to express their own feelings about their processes, giving them voice. (All responses by children to the unasked question of making friends are placed in quotation marks.) By giving them voice, Sara O'Leary lets young readers take what they want from the guidance of their peers, perhaps to help them make their own friends. And, with the wisdom of a compassionate adult, she reminds readers that, "It turns out that the best way to make a friend is to be one." (pg. 29)

From A Friend is a Friend is a Friend, written by Sara O'Leary, illustrated by Qin Leng

A Friend is a Friend is a Friend has been illustrated by Qin Leng, as in the earlier books in this collection. Qin Leng's art, created with ink, marker, and watercolour, are distinct, both light in marks and bright in mood. She does well with stories with young children, giving them innocence, playfulness, and wonder. By making all the children unique in their demeanours and expressions, and by keeping them joyful and natural in the familiarity of play, Qin Leng helps reflect Sara O'Leary's emphasis on diversity and individuality.

  

There will always be those children who make friends very easily, never worrying about how to do it or if they can do it. But there are others for whom it is an uncertainly and even a fear, and A Friend is a Friend is a Friend will help them. Best of all, it's a sweet story without being a contrived teaching tool. And if your little one is heading to summer camp, or to kindergarten or a new school this fall, or you're planning on moving house, A Friend is a Friend is a Friend will reassure those for whom finding a friend may be more of a challenge. It reminds them that they can do it.

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A Family is a Family is a Family (2016)

A Kid is a Kid is a Kid (2021)

A Friend is a Friend is a Friend (2026)