I Will Always Be Your Friend! (Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood)

I WILL ALWAYS BE YOUR FRIEND is a cute ode to friendship featuring Daniel Tiger and addressed to the reader. Daniel speaks directly to his neighbor by saying all the great things he loves about their friendship, such as trying new things and foods, being silly together, being good helpers, and so much more. For fans of Daniel Tiger, they will recognize the situations described as well as the lessons they learned along the way.

What I loved: This is a simple but cute story that celebrates friendship and reiterates some of the lessons of Daniel Tiger along the way. The book reminds readers of some of the great things friends can share, such as helping to cheer each other up, being silly, and having fun - as well as some of the important lessons that they have learned like being kind, being good helpers, and trying new things. The book features glimpses into the show with images of Daniel and friends in the different situations throughout. The whole story is addressed to the reader, bringing them into the world they probably already know and love!

The book itself is oversized and uses pages that are in between board and picture book pages in terms of thickness, which is great for older toddlers to easily turn and not tear. The end also features a pop-up of Daniel Tiger that lifts off the page for some extra fun.

What left me wanting more: As a small thing, the pop-up is a bit awkward, as the book has to be overextended backward to get it to fully pop-up (or be flat on the floor, which is a bit harder to read). It is glued on top as well, which means it could be easy to rip for rougher readers. The text is also a bit small and lengthy on some pages, where it goes into a bit of detail on a topic, that makes some pages feel imbalanced.

Final verdict: Overall, I WILL ALWAYS BE YOUR FRIEND is a sweet picture book that fans of Daniel Tiger will love, to remind them about friendship and the lessons they have learned alongside Daniel. Recommend for fans of the show, particularly toddlers and preschoolers.