Shall we be friends?

Agnese is a cheerful, adventurous little girl who lives in an apartment block inhabited solely by adults; she passes her time playing games and going on stakeouts and expeditions. She has explored every corner of the building, and she knows it all like the back of her hand. When she notices a new girl, the same age as her, she is excited: finally something new to discover, finally someone to play with so she will be less alone. Agnese does everything she can to make contact: she leaves her notes, gazes out of the window, waits on the swing. But the more she looks for her, the more elusive the girl seems to be, until one day, when climbing the stairs, the two exchange a single glance - all it takes for them to both understand that they were made to be friends, and to ask each other the question which is so simple as children and so difficult as adults: "Shall we be friends?". A book that doesn't need many words, an easy read whose message is almost entirely conveyed by Jenny Lovlie's enchanting pastel illustrations. "Diventiamo amiche?" by Marit Larsen is an ode to the purest friendship: one which needs no words, just complicit glances. Because the world is a difficult place to be, but if you have a friend beside you, everything is a little bit easier.   Diventiamo amiche? di Marit Larsen Rizzoli Illustrati, 2020