May I Bring a Friend?

by Beatrice Schenk de Regniers and Beatrice de Regniers

Book Overview

An imaginative boy brings a surprising array of friends to dine at the palace in this Caldecott Medal-winning picture book.

One day, a small boy receives a very special invitation--the King and the Queen have invited him to the castle for tea. He accepts, with one question: "May I bring a friend?"

"Any friend of our friend is welcome here," says the King. But their guest's friend turns out to be someone they never expected

Beatrice...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0689206151
• ISBN13: 9780689206153
• Release Date: February 1971
• Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
• Length: 48 Pages
• Weight: 0.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 8.0" x 9.5"
• Age Range: 4 to 8 years
• Grade Range: Preschool to Grade 3

Customer Reviews

Charming, totally charming

This is my 4-year old grand daughter's favorite book. Actually, I'm tired of reading it I've read it so many times to her, she can't get enough of it. Charming book, lovely amusing story. I highly recommend it. May 2010. My grand daughter, and her 4 year old brother are still enjoying this book. Such a cute story. The illustrations are fun.

Charming, totally charming

This is my 4-year old grand daughter's favorite book. Actually, I'm tired of reading it I've read it so many times to her, she can't get enough of it. Charming book, lovely amusing story. I highly recommend it.

A Special Invitation.....

"The King and Queen/Invited me/To come to their house/On Sunday for tea.// I told the Queen/And the Queen told the King/I had a friend/I wanted to bring.// The King told the Queen,/"My dear, my dear,/Any friend of our friend/Is welcome here."// So I brought my friend..." So begins Beatrice Schenk De Regniers' timeless classic, May I Bring A Friend? originally published in 1964. Our young narrator is invited to the palace quite often, in fact every day of the week, and has lots of interesting friends, he politely asks to bring...a giraffe to tea on Sunday, a hippo to dinner on Monday, monkeys to lunch on Tuesday, an elephant to breakfast on Wednesday, a pride of disguised lions for Halloween on Thursday, and a horn playing seal for Friday's Apple Pie Day. Finally on Saturday, the little boy and all his special friends extend an invitation to their ever-gracious hosts. "So that is why...// The King and Queen/And I and all/My friends were seen/On Saturday at half-past two/Having tea at the City Zoo." Ms De Regniers' joyous, lilting, rhyming text begs to be read aloud, and the engaging repetition of each day's new invitation allows little ones to interact and read along. Beni Montresor won a Caldecott Medal for his boldly imaginative, colorful, and detailed pen and ink illustrations, and youngsters will enjoy all the humor and silly antics of visiting zoo animals. Perfect for preschoolers, May I Bring A Friend? is still as fresh and entertaining as it was over thirty-five years ago, and is a simple little treasure to read and share now with friends and family, and future generations in the years to come.