Pearl Barley and Charlie Parsley by Aaron Blabey.

Pearl and Charlie are great friends, but they are also almost completely different from one another.  Pearl is loud, vivacious, brave and silly.  Charlie is quiet, shy, reserved and kind.  How can they be friends?  Well, it turns out that they suit each other perfectly.  When one has a need, the other meets it.  Kindly, warmly and in their own unique way. 

All of us have a bit of Pearl and a bit of Charlie in us, so this is a picture book that speaks to everyone.  Blabey’s very short text is perfect to read aloud, often allowing the picture to tell the bulk of the story.  His illustrations are friendly, warm and quite silly at times.  What could have been a saccharine story of perfect friendship is brought to life through humor and the lovely imperfection of the two characters.  The best piece of the book is that these two different individuals did not have to change themselves to be friends, instead they took the parts of themselves that are most special and offer them to the other.  What a great message for children!

Spending time with these two is quite a treat.  Through no lecturing whatsoever, children will see what it is to be a friend without changing yourself at all.  Appropriate for ages 3-6.