F Is for Friendship is an alphabet book that is quite different from the typical alphabet book you will find on the shelves. Each page is written in two parts. For the younger child, there is a short, simple, rhyming paragraph that coordinates with the letter of the page, but there is also an informative sidebar that goes into much more depth and detail, sharing facts that will interest even an adult reader. For example, for the letter P we read that “P is for Patchwork. Sewing the fabric of our lives, mothers, daughters, sisters, wives. Patches of sorrow, joy and strife, making beauty from the scraps of life.” Then in the sidebar we get more information about patchwork quilts, such as the fact that the fabric used in them usually came from worn-out clothes, flour sacks or scraps left over from other projects. The pictures are beautiful and colorful, drawing you right into the book and showing the beauty of many different kinds of quilts. In the far back of the book, there is even a small quiz to see if you can recognize some well-known quilt patterns.

We really enjoyed this book. It combines bits of history and beautiful quilts and makes a book that is interesting to both a young child and an adult.