What is the best way to be a friend when someone you love is hurting? Perfect for fans of The Rabbit Listened and The Boy with Big Feelings.Oskar and Aya are best friends who love to build things, make up stories, and visit the construction site where Oskar's aunt works. Most of the time they have loads of fun together, but sometimes Oskar feels too sad to play. How can Aya help when she's not sure what Oskar needs? When a Friend Needs a Friend addresses mental health with unflinching candor and compassion and shows how sadness is a normal part of life, something to be felt rather than fixed. Readers might see themselves in both characters -- sometimes suffering as Oskar does, and sometimes being an ally as Aya is.The story also contains light STEM connections to construction, which acts as a subtle metaphor for building a friendship and creating something stable and lasting that can withstand the ups and downs of normal human emotions.