“Coo-ee!” Amy and Louie are best friends, calling each other with their special word, sharing secrets and a love of imaginative play. When Amy and her family move far, far away, the distance is incomprehensible. “If I call Amy really loudly, she’ll hear me, won’t she?” Louie asks. “Amy is too far away . . . When you are awake in the day, she is asleep at night.” Louie’s grandma understands the importance of trying the impossible. Louie calls and his cry is carried on dragon-shaped clouds across the ocean and into a city of tall buildings where Amy lives. “I had a lovely dream . . . about Louie,” Amy announces at breakfast. Amy and Louie’s shared experiences matter far more than the distance between them in Libby Gleeson’s tale of friendship, loss, and lasting connection that will resonate with children whether they’ve experienced a move (or the move of a friend) across town or across country. Freya Blackwood’s elegant illustrations beautifully reflect the emotional tenor of Gleeson’s tender story. (Ages 3–7)

Amy and Louie are best friends—at school and at home. They play to gether, spy creatures in the clouds, and use Amy’s mother’s special word to call each other, “Coo-ee, Lou-ee!” “Coo-ee, Am-ee!” (n.p.). Lively, realistic watercolor illustrations suggest an idyllic preschooler’s world—until “Amy and her family moved a long, long way away . . .” (n.p.). Suddenly, Louie’s neighborhood appears in shades of sepia, and except for her red coat and hat, Amy’s new world is equally drab. Realistic Mom and Dad tell Louie that it would be impossible for Amy to hear his call on the other side of the world: Amy sleeps while Louie is awake. Grandma encourages him to try, and that night, Louie and Amy dream of each other. Author won the Bologna Ragazzi Prize; illustrator won the Crichton Award for Debut Illustration. lmp

Originally published as Amy & Louis by Scholastic Press Australia, in 2006.

If I call Amy really loudly, she'll hear me, won't she? Louie asked his mom. His mom shook her head. Amy is half a world away. Amy and Louie are the best of friends. They build towers as high as the sky, they look for magical creatures in clouds, and they always greet one another with their special call: Coo-ee! But when Amy's family moves far across the ocean, the color drains out of their lives---until Louie finds a way to restore their special bond. A perfect book for any friends separated by a move, this is the unforgettable story of a friendship lost and found.