Unlikely Friends (Beak & Ally #1)

by Norm Feuti, Norm Feuti (Illustrator)

Overview

Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Award winner! “What do you get when you cross a crusty alligator and a perky bird? A surprising friendship you’ll be sure to cheer for. Beak and Ally is a warm, funny winner!” —Terri Libenson, author of the New York Times bestselling Emmie & Friends series

A brand-new early reader graphic novel series about finding friendship in unexpected places! This fun and funny buddy comedy is perfect for fans of Narwhal & Jelly, emerging readers, and all kids who love comics.

Ally the alligator is perfectly happy being alone . . . until one day a noisy bird named Beak lands on her snout.

Beak thinks Ally is lonely and needs a friend. He has all sorts of friendship goals in mind, like riding bikes together, going to the movies together, and even solving mysteries together! But when a Long-Billed Party Pooper crashes Beak’s nest-warming party, Ally decides to show Beak something important to her: sticking up for what’s right.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780063021570
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	01/05/2021
Series:	Beak & Ally Series , #1
Pages:	64
Product dimensions:	6.20(w) x 8.30(h) x 0.10(d)
Age Range:	6 - 10 Years

About the Author

Norm Feuti is an award-winning author, illustrator, and cartoonist based in Massachusetts, known for his engaging and humorous books for young readers. His graphic novel series Beak & Ally won a Theodore Seuss Geisel Honor in 2022, and his early reader series Hello, Hedgehog! is a family favorite, helping children build reading confidence with charming stories and lovable characters. In addition to his children’s books, Norm is the creator of two nationally syndicated comic strips, Retail and Gil, which were widely appreciated for their relatable humor and thoughtful storytelling.

Norm Feuti is an award-winning author, illustrator, and cartoonist based in Massachusetts, known for his engaging and humorous books for young readers. His graphic novel series Beak & Ally won a Theodore Seuss Geisel Honor in 2022, and his early reader series Hello, Hedgehog! is a family favorite, helping children build reading confidence with charming stories and lovable characters. In addition to his children’s books, Norm is the creator of two nationally syndicated comic strips, Retail and Gil, which were widely appreciated for their relatable humor and thoughtful storytelling.

Editorial Reviews

2020-09-29
An alligator introvert and a boisterous blue songbird build a new friendship.

Ally, a bright green alligator, enjoys a life of solitude in the clear blue swamp. This peace and quiet, however, is upended when extrovert Beak moves into the neighborhood. A “Yellow-Bellied Fee Boo bird,” Beak was “born to sing” and is delighted to have someone new to befriend—whether Ally wants to be befriended or not. Although they agree that their only commonality is that they “were both hatched from eggs,” Beak is sure they should be friends. When his newly built nest—and nest-warming party—is hijacked by a “Long-Billed Party Pooper,” an antagonistic gray bird, Ally decides to stand up for Beak and intimidate the Party Pooper into scramming. Beak’s steamrolling of the unwilling Ally is played up for humor, but readers with strong social-emotional skills may find themselves made uncomfortable by Beak’s unwillingness to take no for an answer. Feuti’s art is bright and expressive. Clean lines, plenty of white space between panels, and a clear narrative arc with three short chapters make this a solid choice for emerging readers.

This series opener is cute, but it delivers a dubious message on boundaries. (Graphic fiction. 6-10)

Kirkus Reviews

What do you get when you cross a crusty alligator and a perky bird? A surprising friendship you’ll be sure to cheer for. Beak and Ally is a warm, funny winner!” — Terri Libenson, author of the New York Times bestselling Emmie & Friends series

Feuti’s art is bright and expressive. Clean lines, plenty of white space between panels, and a clear narrative arc with three short chapters make this a solid choice for emerging readers. — Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher