ALA Booklist (Tue Nov 01 00:00:00 CDT 2022)

This inviting book for beginning readers features four stories about two good friends. Rose, a pig, lives next door to Billy, a goat. On a warm, sunny day, they tackle chores they've been avoiding: Billy practices the cello, while Rose washes clothes. In the fall, during a game of catch that ends in utter failure, each blames the other, but when they try encouraging each other, one of them actually catches the ball. On a bleak, snowy day, Rose and Billy open an ice-cream stand and eventually find customers: each other. And in spring, after arguing about where to hold a sleepover, they come to a reasonable compromise. The narrative magic relies less on plot twists than on the characters' sometimes prickly but ultimately rock-solid relationship and the details that Hest includes in her storytelling. Denton's artwork, created with watercolors and ink, reflects the tone of the writing while creating nearly human-looking, dressed-animal characters in a series of expressive, captivating illustrations. An enjoyable choice for kids learning to read or as a read-aloud for younger children.

Horn Book (Mon Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2022)

Billy, a goat, and Rose, a pig, are friends who live on neighboring farms. In four short stories, the two work their way through small conflicts in satisfying ways. Rose needs to do laundry; Billy needs to practice the cello. Both have been putting off these "very big chores." Happily, they encourage each other: Rose scrubs and hangs wash on the line to the sound of Billy's cello. The friends play catch, more or less successfully, amidst the falling leaves. They set up an ice-cream stand on a snowy winter day and are surprised to attract no customers. Come spring, they struggle to plan a sleepover that meets both their wishes. The cozy words and pictures have an old-fashioned sensibility. Hest's focus is the friendship between two neighbors who enjoy each other's company. Denton's lively watercolor and ink illustrations are filled with movement, and the characters' exuberance bursts off the page. With generous white space, wide margins, and plentiful art, this short chapter book has a friendly, approachable design for new readers.

Kirkus Reviews

Good friends can find a way to be together.Rose, a pig, and Billy, a goat, are two delightful friends and neighbors who work through their differences and difficulties in four distinct vignettes about everyday life. In the first, Rose is ready for a day of play, but all her favorite clothes need washing. After procrastinating as long as she can, she gathers her dirty clothes and goes outside to wash them only to greet Billy, who has just hung his clothes on the line but can't face practicing the cello. Rose gently chastises Billy for not practicing just as Billy reminds Rose of the importance of doing laundry. They both have a eureka moment, and Rose does her laundry to "the glorious sound of Billy's cello." Other tales see the friends playing catch (each blames the other for missing the ball), running an ice cream stand in the middle of a snowstorm, and planning a sleepover. The stories quietly model ways of dealing with disagreement-when the pals are at odds, they separate and regroup but then meet again to find a mutually agreeable solution. Plentiful watercolor-and-ink illustrations show the friends dealing with their problems and enjoying themselves.Gentle words and calming illustrations subtly provide strong examples of conflict resolution. (Early chapter book. 4-8)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Across four likable Frog and Toad–style stories, Hest celebrates the camaraderie of barnyard pals Billy and Rose. In the first chapter, Rose, a pale-colored pig who puts off doing laundry, and Billy, a gray sheep who dislikes practicing cello, motivate each other to complete their tasks. Next, a simple game of catch becomes the occasion for a spat and its resolution (“Billy and Rose throw and miss... and try, try, try”). Later, the pair come to each other’s rescue when their cold-weather ice cream stand fails to attract customers, and meet in the middle when a planned sleepover requires compromise. Genuine-sounding rapport articulates the kindness at the heart of any partnership, while MacDonald Denton’s pale watercolor and ink illustrations add a layer of liveliness via expressively wrought figures; together, the duo embodies the way a best bud can both challenge and inspire. Ages 4–8. (Oct.)