Published by Eerdmans Books for Young Readers on August 27, 2024
Genres: Children's
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"Charming, whimsical." — The New York Times
"Subtle, beautiful, and detailed, this gem is recommended for all collections." — School Library Journal (STARRED REVIEW)
"A stellar story of pals weathering ups and downs with aplomb." — Kirkus Reviews (STARRED REVIEW)
A simple yet sensitive tale about friendship and acceptance.
Goat and Bunny are best friends. They love meeting up to eat canned grass together. But when they share coffee, a hike, or dinner at Bunny’s burrow, Goat and Bunny realize that they aren’t as similar as they thought. Can these friends learn to accept each other’s personalities and preferences—even if it means changing their plans?
With playful art and gentle humor, It Is Okay reminds young readers that kindness and respect are essential for friendship. Differences don’t have to stop friends from spending time together—instead, they can spark whole new kinds of fun.
The theme of It is Okay is spelled out on the final panel of the book: “Goat and Bunny are very different. But it is okay.” The story is about two unlikely friends who first meet because of shared interests (the same brand of canned grass, if you must know) but in exploring and deepening their friendship, find that they also have some pretty big differences. Through the book, Goat and Bunny discover compromises that them to continue being fully themselves while adapting to meet the other’s needs.
It is Okay is a great example of friendship. Some of the differences are a bit odd—obviously done for humor—rather than focusing on more “real-life” examples, but I think it’s good sometimes that books encourage readers to engage in lateral thinking to muse about how the book’s themes might apply to them rather than trying to force a particular interpretation. Ye Guo is able to show how differences create compatibilities and how one individual’s weakness can be offset by the other’s strength. It’s a sweet testament to community and diversity—and in a world that feels increasing polarized with smaller and more restrictive in-groups, this reminder that your friends can be different from you is a breath of fresh air.
I enjoyed the simple line drawings for the illustrations. Ye’s style has a childlike quality to it, but it is also juxtaposed with more intricate work. This, I think, would draw young readers in as it some of the illustrations seem like something they could replicate. It’s a fun style that plays with the juxtapositions between the two main characters.
I think more than ever we humans need to be told that we can get along with and flourish alongside those who are different than us, and that those things that bring us together are greater than the things that could separate us. It’s a simple but powerful message just to say that humans are diverse in their interests and preference and It is Okay.