Taro Gomi is one of Japan’s most prolific children’s book authors/illustrators.  With more than 400 books, his work is instantly recognizable for its beauty, simplicity, delineated images, use of color and subtle humor.  All his books are beautiful! His book, Everyone Poops, is probably his most well-known, and Bus Stops is also quite popular.  But my newest discovery of his book,  My Friends , is my personal favorite.

‘My Friends’ is a very sweet book about a little girl who tells you all the things she has learned from her friends.  She learned to walk from her friend, the cat.  She learned to march from her friend, the rooster.  She learned to smell the flowers from her friend, the butterfly. She learned to play from her friends at school, etc.  It’s a really simple but very touching book, educating kids about the different animals and what you can learn from each of them.

-Courtney