Another wonderful hit from Tom Percival - full of emotion and touching on relatable worries for young readers / listeners. A touching and senstively portrayed picture book about making friends.

n this book we see how crafty Meesha makes her friends from sewing and glueing them until a party provides the opportunity to discover real life new friends as they share her interests</div><div><br /></div><div>

A great little book for showing children shyness and anxiety making friends is normal and friends can be anyone anywhere too.

Many thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review this book for them

A wonderful story of how a little girl makes friends. My little one really enjoyed it. Would highly recommend.

I almost can't deal with how much I love Tom Percival's new book. As expected, it is a thing of beauty - a sensitive and gentle exploration of the difficulties that may be found when making friends, as well as how you might overcome them. A perfect book for reading and discussing together!

Many children struggle to make friends and Meesha is no exception. But Meesha loves creating so she decides to create some friends of her own. What happens next is both heartwarming and realistic and will show even the youngest readers the importance of just being yourself.

Another great read in this series by Tom Percival, perfect for 3 - 7 year old and up.

An adorable story about the struggles of making friends. Tom Percival's series of books have previously helped to introduce and for children to understand tricky moments in their young lives - Meesha Makes Friends is no different. Meesha is a little girl who loves to make things - but she struggles to make friends. In social situations, she doesn't understand how to form those friendship connections and grows sad and frustrated. But there is no magic word that can make friends. This story teaches that friendship comes from shared loves, like creating, and from there you'll build lasting bonds. Beautifully illustrated as always, I love the attention to detail. The formatting of the ebook was a bit of a challenge to read on my kindle, as it sometimes jumbled the sentences, but I did enjoy the reading experience.
I would read this to my class!

One of my auto buy author/illustrators is Tom Percival; I've loved every single one of his books, both for the stories and the gorgeous illustrations. During lockdown, I was very excited to see that Bloomsbury had put his new book Meesha Makes Friends up on NetGalley and it really didn't disappoint! I can't wait to get a physical copy to really be able to appreciate the illustrations and how the book flows.

Meesha Makes Friends is another important story showing how it can be a little bit tricky to make friends sometimes and feel like we fit in, but it also shows how we can learn to overcome these challenges. I think that this is another important book from Tom Percival for children to read, especially those who are maybe a little quieter and find fitting in difficult. It's engaging with a strong story and illustrations that really capture it perfectly.

Tom Percival has done it again! This is another fantastic story to encourage empathy and understanding among children.

Meesha loves to make things but she finds making friends difficult. We get an insight into Meesha's feelings through the clever illustrations where away from her comfortable solitude everything is black and white. One day at a party she takes herself off to a quiet corner and takes out her craft materials and begins to craft some friends for herself. Until she notices someone watching.

This is a story I would definitely use in the classroom to encourage children to think about how people are different, and how some children find it tricky to make friends. There could be lots of opportunity to talk about the use of colour with an older class, while the story itself is great as a read aloud with younger children

I received an eARC of this book from the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I’m willing to bet that there aren’t many people in the world that haven’t felt a bit like the protagonist in this beautiful book from time to time. Meesha Makes Friends by Tom Percival is warm and heartfelt examination of how one little girl overcomes her difficulties and anxiety about making friends.

Meesha loves making things. But one thing she always struggles to make is… friends. She comes up with the idea of actually constructing her own little buddies (think Forky from Toy Story 4), and she’s pretty happy with how they turn out.

When she gets invited to a party she’s not too sure she’s going to enjoy it, despite her parents telling her otherwise. With the celebrations in full swing she quickly gets overwhelmed and goes to hide under the stairs to use her craft materials to “make” some little mates she feels comfortable with. Joel sees what she’s up to and, impressed, asks if she can show him what to do. Although unsure, she decides to let him get involved and, before she knows it, she’s managed the first tentative steps towards making some real friends.

We’ve been eagerly awaiting this new addition to Tom Percival’s Big Bright Feelings series and it certainly doesn’t disappoint! Meesha, like so many children, finds it hard to read social cues and doesn’t really know what to say to those she doesn’t know. She finally manages to build friendships by talking about something she’s passionate about and comfortable with, and her bravery in trying to overcome her worries really pays off. Meesha shows little readers that, though making friends can sometimes be tough, if you can find some courage and a bit of common ground, it’s just that little bit easier.

Joel is such a lovely character. He sees that Meesha is by herself and encourages her out of her shell, introducing her to all the others at the party. This book is great for promoting empathy and I’d like to think that, like Joel, Wee Reader would spot someone struggling to fit in and help them to feel included.

This book would be perfect for a 4 year old who is anxious about starting school, but it’s actually applicable to almost endless situations. It comes highly recommended by us!

With thanks to Bloomsbury Kids for this gifted review copy.

Another super picture book in the Big Bright Feelings series. I have loved all of Tom Percival's books because of their beautiful illustrations, BAME representation and the way they deal with universal childhood problems. In this one, Meesha dues not understand how to make friends, and prefers to craft her own, until she lets another similar boy help. I think all children could recognise someone they know, or themselves, in this story, and could take away the feeling that it is ok to be by yourself, but you will find someone who likes the same things you do. A sweet peaen to individuality.

A really interesting picture book about the very shy Meesha, whose unique way of seeing the world means that she finds it hard to make friends. It isn’t until she shares her unique way of showing her imagination through crafts with a new friend at a party that she makes not just one but lots of friends. This is a lovely picture book with a really striking use of colour in the illustrations to show how the cute and resourceful Meesha sees the world with what seems to be a form of synesthesia – seeing colours when certain words and sounds are said. I read the e-book version of this but think there might be flaps in the last few pages, so I can only imagine how lovely the end of this book is. I would heartily recommend this book to small readers, who might feel very shy or find it hard to make friends, as the pictures and not many words make this an easy read with a moving message.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for sending me a free advance e-book copy of this title.

An ARC of this children's book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in return for my honest review.

Meesha Makes Friends by Tom Percival is part of the Big Bright Feelings book series.
This beautifully illustrated, heart-warming picture book is perfect for children who find it difficult of overwhelming, socializing and tying to make friends. It also helps children to reach out to a child in need of a friend.

My daughter and I enjoyed reading this book together and discussing the signs that someone may need a friend and what things to say and do to help.
I love that this book opens up this topic to discuss with our children.

Tom Percival's other Big Bright Feelings books are written to broach a variety of sensitive issues and emotions our little ones may be finding difficult.

This is a good story to teach children that everyone is different. It is an even better story, if you have a child on the spectrum or you child is friends with someone on the spectrum, to help explain how they may feel sometimes. It has a great story and lesson to learn. We enjoyed it.

Another lovely book from this brilliant series. This is a story about being yourself and making friends. Perfect for children struggling socially themselves and also for the children around them.

Meesha Makes Friends is a heart-warming picture book aimed at any child who might be finding it tricky to make friends or a child who might just be the one that can reach out to someone in need of a friend.

As always, Tom Percival's stunning illustrations greatly add to the appeal of this picture book. I love the way he uses black, white and grey, with flashes of bright colours that portray the characters' emotions.

Like Tom's other Big Bright Feelings books, he sensitively addresses the emotions and issues that young children might find difficult to put into words, giving them a mirror to see themselves reflected in, and perhaps opening a door to conversations about how they are feeling. This would be a fantastic book to use in PSHE sessions.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

Meesha finds it hard to make friends because she struggles to read and respond to social cues. She uses her creativity and engineering skills to make friends she feels comfortable with, but they don't play back. It takes an overwhelming situation at a party for her to realise her special skills can help her make friends and feel more comfortable around others.

Tom Percival's picture books always hit the right note. Meesha Makes Friends fits right into his series of books about worries, self-esteem, emotions, and mental and emotional wellbeing. This book should be on every classroom shelf.

The cover is beautiful and one that makes you want to pick it up. A sweet story about a little girl who found it difficult to make friends and how she was able to make friends by doing something she loved. The illustrations are just perfect. Thank you for the opportunity to review this book.

Meesha is such a lovely character and your heart goes out to her as she struggles to make friends. After her attempts to play with other children fail, Meesha decides to “make” a set of friends using her paints and glue. Then Josh stumbles upon her, playing with her new friends – will she trust Josh with the truth? Through Tom’s wonderful red and blue themed illustrations, we see Meesha take that courageous step to put herself out there and let Josh into her wonderful creative world. From feeling left out at her own party, we see Meesha grow into a confident little girl who isn’t afraid to be herself.

This book has a warm message of friendship that every child can relate to. Whether you know a child who is struggling to make friends, or a social butterfly who could offer a friendly smile to a child that is shy, this is a brilliant book to read and discuss with young children. There is also a beautiful letter at the front of the book from Tom to the reader about making friends.

I love Tom Percival's previous books and have used them lots in school to help children who feel like they don't quite fit in, or who struggle with their emotions. This is another brilliant addition to the set! Illustrated with a beautiful, simple colour pallete of reds, blues and greys, we learn about Meesha who finds it difficult to make friends. She's happy with her creativity and her uniqueness but the images and words show how she finds it tricky to fit in in a world that doesn't always accept difference (although the pictures show a brilliant range of diversity in her peers as they play together). She puts her creativity to good use and slowly learns how to make brave choices, overcome her worries and make her first friend.

This will be a brilliant addition to the school classroom to help children to understand friendship, loneliness and what they can do to help themselves and others when they feel like they don't quite fit in. It's a book I'll keep returning to over and over again for the beautiful, gentle story and stunning illustrations.

Tom Percival’s Big Bright Feelings series is an amazing set of books featuring children of all ages and races learning about themselves, their emotions and building their confidence. Stunning stories and pages full of gorgeous illustrations, these books are a must have for every home and school. Subtle messages are communicated via the story that most children can relate to. This series will build empathy, self confidence and positive self image in all children.

Meesha, a young girl, has talent with making items from paper, She can make things from sound and pictures, but making friends does not come as easily as her designs. Left out and introverted, Meesha decides to make her own friends, and they go with her to a party. For Meesha, this is a scary event and she ends up playing with her “friends” under the stairs, Spotted by a boy, Meesha is worried he will tease her or break her toys. Can she be brave and allow a real friend in?

A wonderful story full of heart and hope, brilliant for those formative years in school where learning to share and make friends is the whole world.

Will be adding to my collection at home and school.