Walter Had a Best Friend

Starred review from August 15, 2022
The basic pathway of this emotionally significant story by Underwood (Every Little Letter) will be familiar to anyone who has loved, and lost, a dear companion. Walter, a rodent, and Xavier, who appears to be a green-footed fowl, are best friends, hiking and painting and boating together, until one day, after Xavier and a newcomer bond, “they weren’t.” Though Xavier and hedgehog Penelope are friendly to Walter, even extending an invitation to a ballgame, “it wasn’t the same,” and Walter has many empty hours to fill. Ruzzier (No! Said Custard the Squirrel) creates a warm-hued landscape in which appealing animal characters experiencing recognizable emotions move among delightfully strange natural wonders. As Walter’s world changes, his whole body sags—even his tail. Far from bouncing back quickly, Walter sustains a period of real mourning before things improve. The creators pay careful attention to this stage of his experience, giving it direct, powerful words
(“ ‘I hate Xavier,’ Walter said to his mirror. But really, he didn’t”) before revealing what’s on the other side. Reprising the words quietly and slowly around the story’s illustrated phases, the creators paint a realistic portrait of painful change and a hopeful vision of moving on. Ages up to 8. Author’s agent: Erin Murphy, Erin Murphy Literary. Illustrator’s agent: Jennifer Laughran, Andrea Brown Literary.

October 1, 2022
Grades 1-3 Sparely detailed art and minimal text sharpen the poignancy of this take on the theme of "watching once-close friends drift away." Walter the mouse and his duckling friend Xavier are inseparable, sharing everything from walks to simple quiet times--until the day Penelope the hedgehog comes along. Slowly, gradually, Walter finds himself left behind, with a "hole in his heart where Xavier used to be." In the muted watercolors, gulfs of open outdoor space and views of Walter slumped in large but nearly unfurnished rooms effectively capture that feeling of loneliness. Time goes by until one day sunbeams poke through Walter's curtain, suggesting that it would be a beautiful day to take a walk again. Instead of the old, familiar path he chooses a new one, and meets a smiling badger who introduces himself as Ollie. Neither Penelope nor Xavier, to all appearances oblivious to his ex-bestie's distress, come off too well here. But the focus is clearly on the shifts in Walter's emotional landscape, and both Underwood and Ruzzier shed perceptive light on that.

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September 30, 2022

PreS-Gr 2-A simple story about friendship and loss, this book beautifully captures the end of the friendship between Walter and his duck friend, Xavier. It brings so much fulfillment to Walter's life, until Penelope the porcupine comes along. Xavier and Penelope become inseparable, and Walter becomes lonely and sad. But rather than moping around forever, Walter decides to embrace his new independence, move on, and find beauty in life on his own. In doing so, he meets Ollie, a badger who shares his love of hiking. Ruzzier's delicate pastel illustrations complement the text nicely as Walter learns to enjoy life again. Muted greens, pinks, and blues dominate the pages and prove to be not only very appealing to the eye, but an appropriate balance with the author's words. VERDICT An excellent book for a simple read-aloud in a primary setting or as an independent choice for a beginning reader. Some friendships do not last forever, it is okay to fly solo, and new friendships come when you least expect them; these are comforting and relatable lessons for any child struggling with loss or change.-Kerra Mazzariello

Copyright 2022 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2022
Walter (a mouse-like creature) and Xavier (who resembles a duck) do everything together, including boating (their canoe has "X + W" carved into it) and hiking. When a quilled creature appears on the scene, however, Xavier's attention turns to her. The close friendship ends, and Walter mourns the loss: "There was...a big hole in his heart where Xavier used to be." But time passes, and one day Walter takes a hike alone, trying a new trail and making a new friend. Underwood's story sensitively presents a common childhood occurrence, as evident in the title's past tense: the disintegration of a friendship. The book's pacing is superb and lets the story breathe. The single short sentence that chronicles the turning-away of Xavier is dispersed amongst four spreads, Ruzzier extending the five words with his warm and expressive watercolors to unfold the drama of a friendship dissolving. Walter's sorrow, which includes bouts of anger, is given the same leisurely pace, making his return to the hiking trail after his time of grief immensely gratifying. The way Ruzzier captures the changing emotions on Walter's face and the space the story gives to his time of "sad quiet" are honest and respectful to the interior lives of children. Details delight: Walter wears a stylish feathered hat and wraps his tail around a rung of his chair as he reads. Emotionally rewarding and cathartic. Julie Danielson

(Copyright 2022 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

Starred review from July 1, 2022
Walter's best friend is Xavier. They share a companionable friendship--until one day, they don't. Walter, a mouse, and his best friend, Xavier, a tall bird, spend quiet times together doing things like floating on a boat under sunny skies. Just as quietly, however, their friendship peters out as Xavier meets Penelope and their friendship no longer feels the same. Walter finds himself at first angry and then alone with "just a big hole in his heart where Xavier used to be. It felt like the hole would be there forever." One morning, when the sun quietly makes its way into Walter's house, he knows it's time to go out and face the world. He decides on a hike but doesn't take the same old path he took with Xavier; he tries a new trail. Along the way he meets Ollie, a badger, and as they walk together, it looks like the beginning of a new friendship. Soft pastel colors match the meditative tone of the spare yet poignant text. This tender, sensitive story speaks to the pain of losing a friendship, validating sadness but emphasizing that there is a way ahead. Perceptively, Underwood recognizes, too, that not all friendships end with fights or drama and that drifting apart slowly can feel just as raw. (This book was reviewed digitally.) A gentle story of friendships lost and gained and life moving on. (Picture book. 4-7)

COPYRIGHT(2022) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

July 1, 2022
Walter (a mouse-like creature) and Xavier (who resembles a duck) do everything together, including boating (their canoe has "X + W" carved into it) and hiking. When a quilled creature appears on the scene, however, Xavier's attention turns to her. The close friendship ends, and Walter mourns the loss: "There was...a big hole in his heart where Xavier used to be." But time passes, and one day Walter takes a hike alone, trying a new trail and making a new friend. Underwood's story sensitively presents a common childhood occurrence, as evident in the title's past tense: the disintegration of a friendship. The book's pacing is superb and lets the story breathe. The single short sentence that chronicles the turning-away of Xavier is dispersed amongst four spreads, Ruzzier extending the five words with his warm and expressive watercolors to unfold the drama of a friendship dissolving. Walter's sorrow, which includes bouts of anger, is given the same leisurely pace, making his return to the hiking trail after his time of grief immensely gratifying. The way Ruzzier captures the changing emotions on Walter's face and the space the story gives to his time of "sad quiet" are honest and respectful to the interior lives of children. Details delight: Walter wears a stylish feathered hat and wraps his tail around a rung of his chair as he reads. Emotionally rewarding and cathartic.

(Copyright 2022 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)