Best Friends in the Universe

by Stephanie Watson, LeUyen Pham (Illustrator)

Overview

Louie and Hector are best friends -- but when some funny secrets get revealed, their friendship is put to the test.

Louie and Hector are the best friends in the universe. Get ready to laugh out loud as the two boys fall in and out and eventually back into their best friendship ever through a series of funny secrets that neither one was supposed to reveal. Each episode is told in a journal format in four parts: "Best Friends in the Universe," "Best Friends in the Universe Forever and Ever," "Worst Friends in the Universe," and finally "Worst Secret Keepers in the Universe But Still Best Friends Forever and Ever."

And Louie and Hector's comical dialogue will have kids howling!

Louie: "I'm going to make up an ugly dance move called the Horrible Hector."Hector: "I'm going to invent a disgusting, rotten drink called the Icky Louie."Both: "That's it! This book is canceled."

But just like most friendships, Hector and Louie find a way to stay best friends forever -- but maybe not the most trusted secret keepers!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780545662154
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	10/09/2018
Sold by:	Scholastic, Inc.
Format:	eBook
Pages:	40
File size:	105 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Stephanie Watson lives and works in St. Paul, Minnesota. She is the author of the first two books in the Elvis & Olive series.
LeUyen Pham is the bestselling illustrator of Real Friends by Shannon Hall, The Princess in Black series with Shannon and Dean Hall, the Freckleface series by Julianne Moore, Hats Off to You and Shoe-la-la! by Karen Beaumont, and Grace for President by Kelly DiPucchio, as well as many others. She lives and works in Los Angeles with her husband and her two adorable sons who are best friends. Visit LeUyen at leuyenpham.com.

Editorial Reviews

08/20/2018
In this meta-comedy about friendship, buddies Hector and Louie are creating an entire book about their relationship (which shares the actual book’s title) and take readers along for the ride. It’s an exuberantly crayoned and markered collaboration on lined paper, filled with in-jokes (they both have fish named “Python” because their moms wouldn’t let them get snakes), a shared love of dance parties, and the sheer joy of knowing there’s somebody else on the same wavelength. But when Hector lets one of Louie’s secrets slip (it involves a milkshake and a pants-related incident), Louie retaliates with a secret of his own (Hector’s secret crush), and the partnership founders until the kids realize they’re happier together and agree to a “DO-OVER!” Pham (Stop That Yawn!) renders the protagonists as both “real-life” boys and cartoonish characters in their own story—on several spreads, both versions appear as the two draw themselves. Dialogue by Watson (Behold! A Baby) bubbles with a fun, noisy energy—this is not a book to read aloud with your inside voice. Ages 4–8. Author’s agent: Carrie Hannigan, HSG Agency. Illustrator’s agent: Linda Pratt, Wernick & Pratt Literary. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

Praise for Best Friends in the Universe:* "[A] clever book about friendship." — School Library Journal, starred review* "Too soon for many readers, it's: 'Hey, our book is almost over!' 'Yeah. . .but our friendship is NOT!'" — Booklist, starred review "A tried-and-true friendship story executed with creativity and verve." — Kirkus"In this meta-comedy about friendship, buddies Hector and Louie are creating an entire book about their relationship... Dialogue by Watson (Behold! A Baby) bubbles with a fun, noisy energy — this is not a book to read aloud with your inside voice." — Publishers Weekly "This vivacious tribute to both friendship and the artistic imagination is for your more energetic storytimes. To be followed by a dance party." — The Horn Book

From the Publisher

★ 10/01/2018
PreS-Gr 2—This clever book about friendship features two boys writing a book together. Though there are "five million" reasons why they are best friends, they only get to the top four—both yearn for a pet python, love jokes, and like dance parties and inventing new foods. "Here's another reason why we're best friends: We keep each other's secrets. Like how one time, Louie wet his pants after too much peanut butter toast milkshake." Louie is not very happy with his best friend for spilling that one. He retaliates by sharing a secret of Hector's, and suddenly, their book is re-purposed as the "Worst Friends in the Universe." Hurtful things are said, the book is canceled, and the friendship is over—or is it? The boys soon realize nothing is the same without a best bud. The childlike pencil and crayon illustrations, enhanced with Photoshop, are bold and full of humor, set against lined notebook paper. The two wide-eyed boys wear their emotions on their sleeves, and the text is entirely in large speech bubbles. This entertaining look at two besties who get in a fight and find their way to forgiveness will speak volumes to elementary school children without being didactic. VERDICT An important selection for all collections.—Barbara Auerbach, Cairo Public Library, NY

School Library Journal

2018-07-16
Hector and Louie are such great friends that they're writing a book about being best friends. This is that book.Watson offers a unique take on metafiction with this story of Louie, a black boy, and Hector, a boy who appears to be Asian, who are full of irrepressible energy and humor. Pham uses refined, clean-lined drawings to depict the real boys, while messy crayon illustrations indicate the pictures that the boys have drawn of themselves. In their book, the two friends list the reasons they are so compatible, including their mutual love of pythons, knock-knock jokes, and dancing. However, when it comes to keeping secrets, neither of them is very adept, and soon a few accidental slips devolve into a war of name-calling and insults. Illustrations show their real hands drawing kissy hearts and bawling babies in mockery, while mustaches and devil horns adorn each other's likenesses. Soon, their friendship ends, as does their co-authorship, and each begins writing his own book. The inevitable and unsurprising happy ending resolves rather quickly, but this book is not about plot. It's about the visual delight of seeing both the real and crayon versions of the characters use their joyful (or angry) energy to celebrate creativity and friendship. The raucous endpapers alone are worth the price of admission.A tried-and-true friendship story executed with creativity and verve. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews