Izzy and Frank

Izzy lives on an island in a lighthouse “with no corners and a staircase that twirled high into the sky”. Each morning she is awakened by her trusty seagull sidekick and best friend, Frank, and together they explore the island, living in a world of everyday moments made exciting by imagination and friendship. They dig for treasure on “gray-storm-rainy days”, hunt crusty crabs on “blue-sky-sunny-days”, and find adventure wherever they go, until one day Izzy moves to the city, leaving behind her beloved island and her beloved friend. Life in the city proves a tough adjustment until one day Frank reappears and together they discover that the city has room for joy as well—and new friends, too. Beer’s choice of two-tone orange and turquoise color palette matches Izzy’s passion for exploration and adds to the illustrations’ spunk and personality. Fun details such as imaginatively exaggerated waves as sea monsters, a city fire hydrant standing in as a pirate complete with a hat, and Frank’s signature orange beanie abound and allow the reader to explore right along with Izzy and Frank. It is particularly notable in this story about friendship that when Frank and Izzy explore the city together, they pick up a couple of new friends along the way and while Izzy always cherishes Frank, she is able to create other meaningful friendships, creating a wonderful sense of closure readers didn’t even know they needed until it’s given to them.