My Friend May

My Friend May by Julie Flett ISBN 978-1-77840-171-8   RRP $29.99 (HB)

Reviewed by Jude Mullen

Margeaux and her cat May have grown up together and have forged a special friendship. When May doesn’t come home one day, Margeaux searches everywhere for her, but sadly she is unable to find her. Margeaux misses May and worries about what might have happened to her. She is also going to miss Nitôsis (her aunty) because Nitôsis is moving to the city. That night while thinking about May, Margeaux helps her aunty to pack. What Margeaux and her aunty don’t know is that May has been accidentally packed into one of Nitôsis‘s moving boxes. What a lovely surprise for both Margeaux and her aunty when they discover her!

Gently told, and touching on themes of separation and loss, this is a tender story which will keep young readers engaged all the way to its surprising and happy conclusion. Also engaging are the beautiful illustrations, adding warmth and fun to the narrative, and bringing the characters to life. Especially evocative are the joyful scenes of Margeaux and May playing together, and Margeaux holding May in her arms.

Julie Flett is a multi-award winning Cree-Métis author, artist and illustrator and it’s easy to see why. Her unique voice is evident from the first sentence, as she directly addresses the reader:

‘I’d like to tell you a rather true story about a big black cat who started out gray.’

At the end of the narrative, Flett addresses the reader again inviting them to share their own stories about cats they have known. She also includes a letter to the reader about her inspiration for this book, followed by a glossary of Cree words and a pronunciation guide.

This book could be accessed by a range of readers on different levels, for example as a simple story about a lost pet, or the deeper themes of friendship and loss. Given that the word count is higher than most picture books on the market, I would recommend it for children aged  4- 7 years. Ideal for prompting conversations and storytelling, I see this book as being a fantastic teaching resource in lower primary classrooms.