Around the World with Friends
Age 3+
Picture Storybooks
An uplifting picture book with a read-aloud refrain that revels in carefree days outside with friends, making adventure from nothing, and coming home happy to feed the chickens.
Raccoon finishes his book and is ready for his own adventure—he wants thrills, excitement and to cross the ocean!
He borrows everything he needs from his friends: a boat from Badger, who insists on coming because you should never go on such an expedition alone. Fox packs them eggs—then joins the trip to do the cooking. Bear suggests she's needed to scare away the jellyfish, and Crow says he should be lookout.
The friends sail through rapids, collect sweet blackberries, chase away bees, play football, until a little rain and thoughts of home bring their excursion to an end. That, thinks Raccoon, was the best trip around the world with friends I’ve ever had. Let’s go again soon—and next time we’ll bring the chickens.
In this heartwarming follow-up to A Perfect Wonderful Day with Friends, Waechter shows how life is better when you bring along your friends and take what the day brings.
Creators
Philip Waechter was born in 1968 in Germany. He now lives as a freelance graphic designer and illustrator in Frankfurt am Main. In 1999 Philip and Moni Port co-founded the community studio LABOR.
Reviews
The five friends are adorable, their joyful and positive interactions irresistible, and the story moves at just the right pace, and with a gentleness that is sometimes missing in picture books. The illustrations are delightful and there is always more to see with each reading. Each of the friends has their special talent and all this comes in handy on their adventure down the river. An adventure which mostly goes to plan, but isn’t always plain sailing, so there will be some problem-solving along the way…A perfectly charming picture book for young adventurers. Recommended for gift-giving and inspiring summer adventures, filled with imagination and delight.
Stella
An uplifting picture book with a read-aloud refrain about carefree days outside with friends, making adventure from nothing, and coming home happy to feed the chickens.
Youth Libraries Group
As with Waechter’s first title, A Perfect Wonderful Day With Friends (2022), his exquisite pen and ink and watercolour artwork captures the carefree companionship of a group of friends spending time together along with the gentle humour that permeates both the text and illustrations. ..A beautiful picture book that puts friendship at the heart of its story.
Childrens Books (outsideinworld.org.uk)
