You'll Always Have a Friend: What to Do When the Lonelies Come

Author Emily Ley begins her compassionate, gentle exploration for young children on the challenges of finding a friend and being a friend by asking questions: “I have important questions. / Some things I’d like to know. / Have you felt the LONELIES lately / or maybe long ago? / Have you ever wondered / while playing ALL ALONE / if the other kids could see you / as you got by on your own? / Have you ever felt LEFT OUT / or lonely through and through? / Have you ever wished for just one FRIEND / who’d love to play with you?”

Ley goes on to explain to children that they aren’t the only ones who have ever felt lonely; everyone has felt lonely at some point in their lives. She offers tips to combat loneliness and to make friends by encouraging children to be kind, loyal, and true to others, to be brave and say hello to kids they’ve never met, to join a sports team, or to take care of a pet friend. Children are also encouraged to talk to a trusted adult if they feel lonely and to ask for help, or to find friendship through characters they meet while reading a book.

Illustrator Romia Galotta’s sweet, pastel pictures, which include children of various ethnic groups and abilities, reveal kids’ vulnerabilities as they combat loneliness and also portray their joy upon receiving a place to belong.

Christian parents and caregivers who share this book with children will have the opportunity to talk with them about their friends and whether or not they feel lonely. Most importantly, they can point their children to Jesus, who said, “I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you” (John 15:15).

(Tommy Nelson)