Book picks similar to
Ellie Makes a Friend by Mike Wu


picture-books
friendship
art
children-s-books

Boxitects


Kim Smith - 2020
    A STEAM-centered, adorably illustrated picture book about Meg, a brilliant and creative boxitect who creates extraordinary things out of ordinary cardboard boxes.

Art & Max


David Wiesner - 2010
    Arthur is an accomplished painter; Max is a beginner. Max’s first attempt at using a paintbrush sends the two friends on a whirlwind trip through various artistic media, which turn out to have unexpected pitfalls. Although Max is inexperienced, he’s courageous—and a quick learner. His energy and enthusiasm bring the adventure to its triumphant conclusion. Beginners everywhere will take heart.

Blue Spot


Griselda Sastrawinata-Lemay - 2019
    How did this happen, asks her mama. Daisy has an answer, which is anything but simple. Instead, she responds with a wonderful fantastical story that includes a blue monster and plenty of blue treats. Mama encourages Daisy to tell the truth in the end, which she does, but even Mama loves the creativity in Daisy's first answer--and kids will, too.

Bear's Big Bottom


Steve Smallman - 2013
    From children's favourite Steve Smallman, author of Smelly Peter, the Great Pea Eater and The Monkey with A Bright Blue Bottom.

Baby Penguins Everywhere!


Melissa Guion - 2012
    Even more unusual? Out of the hat pops a baby penguin. But not just one baby penguin . . . or even two. But a third, and a fourth, and on and on!At first the mama penguin is happy for the company. Until she realizes that taking care of a family is very hard, very tiring work, and what she could really use is just a moment alone. Yet as newcomer Melissa Guion reminds us in her adorable debut picture book, alone time is all well and good, but, it's together time that's best of all.Perfect for any mama penguin with a family, or classroom, full of mischievous little ones.

Uni the Unicorn


Amy Krouse Rosenthal - 2014
    Somewhere there must be a smart, strong, wonderful, magical little girl waiting to be best friends. In fact, far away (but not too far), a real little girl believes there is a unicorn waiting for her. This refreshing and sweet story of friendship reminds believers and nonbelievers alike that sometimes wishes really can come true.

Have You Seen Elephant? (Gecko Press Titles)


David Barrow - 2015
    A small boy and his elephant play an absurd game of hide and seek - a brilliant debut from a Sebastian Walker Award-winning illustrator

Linus the Little Yellow Pencil


Scott Magoon - 2019
    But with the family art show drawing near, these two will have to sharpen their collaboration to make something neither one could do on their own!This ode to art by the illustrator of Spoon and Chopsticks points out the power of sharing the creative process and sticking with it.

My Best Friend


Julie Fogliano - 2020
    What is a best friend, if not someone who laughs with you the whole entire day, especially when you pretend to be a pickle?

Poor Puppy


Nick Bruel - 2007
    Kitty's best friend stars in this zany companion to the best selling BAD KITTY. Poor, poor Puppy: Kitty isn't interested in playing, so all puppy's left with are: 1 Airplane, 2 Balls, 3 Cars, 4 Dolls... and 22 other toys. When he's done, Puppy's so tired, he takes a nap--and dreams of playing apple bobbing in Antarctica, Baseball in Brazil, Checkers in Canada, Dodgeball in Denmark... and 22 other games. Who else but Nick Bruel could combine the alphabet, a counting game, a whirlwind geography course, and a screamingly funny story... all in 40 pages?

Swatch: The Girl Who Loved Color


Julia Denos - 2016
    Her name was Swatch, and color was her passion. From brave green to in-between gray to rumble-tumble pink . . . Swatch wanted to collect them all. But colors don’t always like to be tamed. . . .This is an exuberant celebration of all the beauty and color that make up our lives.

Magritte's Marvelous Hat


D.B. Johnson - 2012
    Johnson writes and illustrates the surreal story of famous surrealist painter Rene Magritte and his very mysterious (and mischievous!) hat. While the art reflects some of Magritte's own work, the text sets readers on a fun and accessible path to learning about the simpler concepts behind Mr. Magritte's work.This delightful picture book captures the playfulness and the wonderment of surrealist art. Four transparent pages add yet another level of surrealism to the illustrations as pictures can be altered with the turn of a page.

King Jack and the Dragon


Peter Bently - 2011
    But when Sir Zack and Caspar are taken inside for bed, King Jack - alone on his throne - finds himself feeling a bit less brave . . . especially when he hears a thing approaching, a thing with four legs.A rollicking read-aloud with a charming surprise ending and Helen Oxenbury's spare, expressive illustrations, this kid-pleaser is a classic in the making.

Little Cloud


Eric Carle - 1996
    Little Cloud trails behind. He is busy changing shapes to become a fluffy sheep, a zooming airplane, and even a clown with a funny hat. Eric Carle's trademark collages will make every reader want to run outside and discover their very own little cloud.

If You Give a Dog a Donut


Laura Joffe Numeroff - 2011
    . . Dog is off on a backyard adventure!The exuberant dog who first appeared in if you give a pig a party is now the star of his very own book. Written in the irresistible “If You Give…” tradition, if you give a dog a donut is another home run from the beloved team of Laura Numeroff and Felicia Bond.