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Friendship in Action
Nelly Kazenbroot Down the Chimney with Googol and Googolplex. Orca $6.95
Frieda Wishinsky A Noodle Up Your Nose. Orca $6.95
Errol Broome Drusilla the Lucky Duck. Annick $6.95
Dan Bar-el Things Are Looking Up, Jack. Orca $7.95
The value of friendship and working together are recurring themes in fiction for young readers. Four recent books address these themes seriously and humorously, and dramatize these in settings that will intrigue readers.
Nelly Kazenbroot's Down the Chimney with Googol and Googolplex is a lighthearted science fiction story that also provides some valuable lessons about intercultural friendship. While using the device of the robots' scavenger hunt, Kazenbroot depicts how a friendship develops between siblings Pippa and Troy and the two robots from outer space. The story exemplifies the virtue of looking past physical differences and forming friendships that are based on mutual respect and positive interaction. Initially, the robots call Pippa and Troy "ugly humans" because of their appearance, but their arrogance diminishes and is replaced by appreciation after the siblings help them with their scavenger hunt list. Their respect increases when they learn that humans can do things that they cannot...