The lesson of this brightly illustrated book is that growing a friend is a lot like growing a plant. Both take time and patience and work. Gillingham begins with a boy and a girl, a pail, and the instruction, "To grow a friend, first plant a seed in good soil," as a hummingbird drops a seed into their pail of dirt. Gillingham cleverly links what the two friends do on a summer day (for example, running through a sprinkler and playing on swings) with what's going on with the developing seed in the pail. What the plant needs ter and sunshine and space to grow what the children need, too. The book then concentrates on what good friends do for each other. Simple geometric shapes and vivid colors make the lessons stand out, and the book finishes with a wonderfully inclusive message about growing a garden of friends, pointing out that each one can sprout up in surprising places and there is always room for one more.