About the Holiday

Friendship Month has been celebrated ever since the Oddfellows organization was established in England in the 1730s. Their official title is The Grand Order of Oddfellows Friendly Society (or GUOOFS), and it is an international organization dedicated to philanthropy, charity, and, of course, friendship. All month long people are encouraged to spend more time with their friends, get in touch with those they haven’t seen or talked to in a while, and to reach out to others who are alone or need a friend. As school gets underway, there are plenty of opportunities for kids to meet new people and form friendships – some of which may last a lifetime.

Thank you to Charlesbridge and Barbara Fisch at Blue Slip Media for sending me this book for review!

Ege and Ávra

Written by Evgenia Mantikas and Elifgül Büyükoral | Illustrated by Nazlı Tarcan

Ege, who lives on the east side of the Aegean Sea in Türkiye, is going fishing with her grandfather. “‘Do you think I’ll catch a çipura, Salih Dede?'” she asks. He doesn’t know, he tells Ege and adds “‘but the sea gives us what we need.'” A short way away on the west side of the Aegean Sea in Greece, Ávra asks her grandfather, “‘Pappoú, will I catch a tsipoúra?'” He answers “‘Perhaps. But the sea knows what is best for us.'” As the girls and their grandfathers steer their boats into fishing waters, they come upon each other in close proximity. Ege complains that Ávra’s boat is in their way, while Ávra fears Ege will steal their fish. Both grandfathers repeat their wisdom from the morning.

As Ege and Ávra cast their fishing lines, they get hopelessly tangled. They pull and wrestle with their poles until Ege is thrown into a bucket and Ávra finds herself wrapped in a net. The two girls lock eyes while their grandfathers erupt in laughter. The girls laugh too, then, and introduce themselves, overcoming their language barrier by placing a hand over their heart as they say their name. Ávra offers Ege the corner of a net, and together they cast it into the sea.

It doesn’t take long before a school of fish swim into the net. With excitement, Ege shouts, “‘çipura!'” “‘Tsipoúra!'” Ávra cries. They stare at each other in awe; “their words for the fish sound the same!” Aboard their respective boats, Ege and Dede and Ávra and Pappoú cook lunch with some of the fish they’ve caught, spices, lemon, and vegetables. They gather on Pappoú’s boat, giving thanks before they begin. Afterward, there’s dessert—a favorite of everyone.

Too soon, it’s time for each family to return home. Ege and Ávra wave goodbye “until they both disappear into the horizon,” each believing that they will meet again. As the two girls drift off, with the sea air gently lulling them to sleep, they whisper “Good night” to the new friend they each made.

Back matter includes an Authors’ Note relating how Evgenia Mantikas and Elifgül Büyükoral met and became friends in college; a brief history of the clash between Türkiye and Greece, a map, and a glossary of Turkish and Greek terms in the story.

As children meet Ege and Ávra and their grandfathers at home and on their boats, they are privy—through visual and textual clues—to something neither girl yet knows: how similar they are. Instantly, readers become invested in how their meeting will play out, starting as it does with suspicion and grumbling. Throughout their story, Evgenia Mantikas and Elifgül Büyükoral beautifully use metaphor, humor, and lyrical prose to bring the two families together in the universal languages of laughter, food, and shared experiences. Büyükoral and Mantikas imbue their lovely, simple storytelling with true surprise and delight that will captivate both children and adults.

Children will eagerly linger over Nazlı Tarcan’s beautiful and evocative illustrations to point out the similarities between the girls as well as their grandfathers. Even the boats boast commonalities. Tarcan’s gorgeous color palette and expressive portraits suffuse her pages with feelings of camaraderie and peace. You can almost feel the sea breeze and smell the aromas wafting from the impromptu meal, and as the girls wish each other “Good night,” their wistful faces will fill readers hearts with hope.

A poignant and uplifting read aloud for meaningful story times, Ege and Ávra is a must for all public and school libraries and would be an exceptional addition to any home bookshelf.

Ages 4 – 8

Charlesbridge, 2026 | ISBN 978-1623546670

A third generation Greek American, Evgenia Mantikas grew up immersed in her family’s culture. She visited Xios every summer, reading for hours on the beach. Evgenia’s love for stories grew as she studied creative writing and received her BA and MA in English literature. After teaching ELA for two years, Evgenia returned to school and earned her MFA from Simmons University and uses her voice to tell cultural stories about family. You can visit her at evgeniamantikas.com.

Elifgül Büyükoral was born and raised in Türkiye, where her close-knit family nurtured her love for books. Elifgül delved into the world of literature and language when she earned her BA in ESL. Fueled by her passion for storytelling, Elifgül moved to the United States to receive her MA in children’s literature from Simmons University. Elifgül writes stories that shine light on her heritage and Islamic faith, hoping to amplify diverse voices. Follow her on Instagram.

Nazlı Tarcan is a Turkish artist and illustrator based in Namur, Belgium. After studying illustration in high school, she studied photography at one of Türkiye’s most prestigious fine art universities, Yildiz Technical University. Midway through her studies, she followed her creative call and ran away with the circus, performing for ten years, traveling through Qatar, Georgia, Tajikistan, Greece, France, Poland, and many other countries. As an artist, she takes inspiration from the tiny details of everyday life. Visit her at nazlisillustrations.com.

Friendship Month Activity

Give Me Your Hand! Puzzle

In this Give Me Your Hand! Puzzle, everyone is welcomed with a handshake. Offering friendship to all, the interchangeable pieces can be mixed and matched as the animals become buddies with one another. 

Supplies

• Printable colored Give Me Your Hand! Puzzle
• Printable blank Give Me Your Hand! Puzzle
• Colored pencils or crayons
• Scissors
• Heavy Stock paper (optional)
• Poster board (optional)
• Glue (optional)

Directions

1. Print the puzzle: to make the puzzle sturdier: Print on heavy stock paper or glue the page to poster board
2. Color the pictures with colored pencils or crayons
3. Cut the pieces apart
4. Switch the pieces around to make many alternate pictures

You can purchase Ege and Ávra from these booksellers

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop

Picture Book Review