In We All Need a Friend: Petey Possum's Story, we find that Daddy Mouse is missing, and his daughter, Margie, doesn't know how to find him. Margie needs a friend—badly! Petey Possum gathers the farm animals to search, but it's a hot day. Can the friends find Daddy in time?We All Need a Friend stories are gentle and humorous; they focus on family. Children love Petey because children want to be helpful. Parents love him for the way he teaches children important lessons. Petey and his friends serve as positive role models for children.We All Need a Friend stories are unique among children's picture books. In light rhyme, Steve Gabany creates partnerships between unlikely animals—one needing help, the other able to help. The stories include an important and timely second story line. In Petey Possum's Story, Petey tells children that he and his brother and sister are adopted. Parents can seize this as a "teachable moment."This is a perfect bedtime story—a little adventure, danger, and a happy ending. What could be better?Arlene Berry's extraordinarily-creative, full-page, full-color illustrations complement the story perfectly. She brings children back to the book time-after-time, finding something in her artwork they didn't see the last time.