Ame Dyckman has discovered a very special place were readers' affections wish to reside. Her narrative guides us down the beloved path of finding friendship with those unlike ourselves; of caring despite differences. With clarity using short sentences Dyckman depicts in both Boy and Bot the characteristics found in best buddies.
On watercolor paper with gouache Dan Yaccarino fashions illustrations from a primary color palette with added greens and purples; bold, radiant eliciting a smile from readers. Endpapers picture both the Boy's and Bot's typical "toys". The title page begins the story with Boy pulling his red wagon past an evergreen with Bot peering from behind.
Freckles sprinkled across Boy's nose and cheeks, smiles playing about Boy's and Bot's mouths, bright-eyed admiration the one for the other and a one-eyed light bulb figure walking about on legs in Bot's home are little extra details readers will notice and appreciate. Yaccarino has chosen to vary his image sizes; double page, single page or several on one page all framed by the appearance of a casual brush stroke. But the way he depicts Dyckman's final sentence,
And the friends did.
is masterful; over the final three pages, a series of images clearly showing the cementing of a bond not to be broken.
