Real to Me, Hardcover/Minh Lê

An acclaimed author and a Coretta Scott King Honoree pair up for this tender story about friendship and accepting change in this picture book told from the perspective of an imaginary friend who grapples with the complex feelings of growing apart from their human. Others tried to tell me that she wasn't real, that she was just imaginary. But what did they know? She was real to me. Then one morning... she was gone. When an imaginary friend's real-life best friend disappears, the creature is left to wander alone. Did it dream up the entire friendship? Maybe... But the creature misses her laugh, her comfort, and her silly mischief. It couldn't have imagined those things, could it? Lush illustrations pair with touching text in this gentle picturebook that illuminates the sweetness of first friendship, the sadness when it's lost, and the beauty in discovering that new friends are just around the corner. Minh Lê is the author of several children's books including Drawn Together , which won the 2019 Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature, and Lift which was an Eisner Award Nominee. His other books include Let Me Finish! , The Perfect Seat, and The Blur . Minh has written for the New York Times , the Horn Book , and the Huffington Post . He currently lives in San Diego, California with his wife and kids. Visit him online at minhlebooks.com or on Instagram and Twitter @bottomshelfbks. Raissa Figueroa is the illustrator of several picture books, including We Wait for the Sun, which received a Coretta Scott King Honor, as well as four starred reviews. She also illustrated Oona, Princess Unlimited, Sophie and the Little Star, and The More the Merrier. She loves taking in the early morning light while out on walks with her dog, Ghost, and letting her mind meander off to fantastical new places. Visit her online at rizzyfig.com Book specifications: Author: Minh Lê Cover type: Hardcover Publishing Year: 2023 Publishing Month: 5 Pages: 40 Language: English Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers Weight: 567 g