cover image No Friends

No Friends

James Stevenson. Greenwillow Books, $12.95 (32pp) ISBN 978-0-688-06506-5

In Stevenson's latest ""Grandpa'' story, Mary Ann and Louie complain that their new neighborhood is the worst place in the world. After all, they haven't made any friends. Then Grandpa tells them about the new neighborhood he and his brother Wainey once lived in. It was ugly, cold and windy; there was no one to play with. The only kids around were the neighborhood bullies. One day, baby Wainey accidentally lands on a runaway bicycle and pulls such a remarkable stunt that everyone comes over to introduce themselves and to play. Grandpa's neighborhood wasn't so bad after alland as Mary Ann and Louie discover, neither is theirs. The zany pace of the comic-strip style illustrations help make this a razzle-dazzle comedy of friendship gained. (5-8)