International Rights

Friends for Real

By: Ted Staunton
Illustrated by: Ruth Ohi
  • ISBN 9781443175159, Hardcover
  • 32 Pages | Ages 3 to 8

Emma searches for her lost favourite toy, and instead finds a true friend.

When Emma loses Squeezy, her favourite stuffy, she tries to find another toy to replace her best-loved “pet.” It’s hard. No one else is exactly like Squeezy, and for Emma, Squeezy is perfect. But instead of finding Squeezy, Emma ends up discovering an unexpected friendship, and that two imaginations are better than one. This touching, smart story of lost-and-found treasures is a great reminder that things don’t always go as planned, but they can turn out better than expected. When Emma makes a friend in Frank, she finds what she’d been missing all along! In an equally perfect pairing, Ruth Ohi’s delightful art effortlessly brings through the layers in Ted Staunton’s nuanced text, bringing together the talents of two of Canada’s best-loved storytellers for kids.

Rights Sold

French (N. Amer) – Éditions Scholastic

Selling Points

• A layered story and with adorable illustrations. • A read-aloud that promises new discoveries on each reading. • The theme of friendship is portrayed from a sensitive point of view that models how to recognize and be a good friend. • A celebration of the transformational power of imagination.

Awards

  • Commended, Best Books for Kids and Teens, Canadian Children's Book Centre, 2020