We Used to Be Friends

Mixed-media vignettes ground the action in the pared-down realism of home and school, giving each pang of loss and step toward a new sense of self room to land. It’s an honest and sympathetic companion for anyone learning that some painful breaks don’t need fixing—only time.
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Campbell’s text is peppered with profound moments of insight, perfectly encapsulating the experience of a relationship falling apart. . . . Catharsis ultimately comes not in the form of reconciliation, but rather from a firm acceptance of this new reality. While most authors would cave at some point and allow the youngsters to rekindle their friendship, Campbell is unafraid to stick to her guns, keeping the children estranged right to the end—and making clear that neither is to blame. Sicuro’s mixed-media art uses the occasional speech balloon to help document the different stages of a doomed friendship. . . . The art of moving on receives an entirely new treatment in this skillful treatise for the young.
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

The simple statements in the text convey her thoughts and actions, while the soft, uncluttered mixed-media illustrations reflect her sadness and isolation. . . . Campbell shows what the protagonist does but does not prescribe what she should do, instead inviting readers to consider each response for themselves. . . . Restrained and emotionally honest, the book validates the pain of friendship loss while allowing young readers space to recognize the slow, uneven work of moving forward.
—The Horn Book (starred review)

The full range of the girl’s shifting emotions is captured in the mixed media art, with many of the larger full spreads carrying a cheerful airiness . . . while tighter, more focused vignettes explore the complexities of childhood friendship, following the girl as she comes to terms with her new reality. The palette similarly amplifies feelings. . . . This picture book offers a compassionate look at an underrepresented but very common childhood milestone and reminds littles that it is okay, and perhaps even expected, that a relationship doesn’t last forever.
—Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books