Building treehouses… and friendships
by Floris Books • 13 August 2025 • Children's Books, Picture Books • 0 Comments
Sharing stories is a great way to tackle tough situations, feelings and new experiences, such as missing old friends. The Together Treehouse by Michael Engler and Joëlle Tourlonias is a deeply felt picture book about cherishing old memories and friendships while opening your heart to new experiences – and new friends. Read on to learn more and look inside at the charming illustrations. Plus, we’ve also put together a list of more beautiful picture books about navigating friendships and change that will help little ones deal with big emotions.
About The Together Treehouse
Sam is heartbroken when his best friend Milo moves away. What will happen to the treehouse they were building together?
When new neighbour Martha tries to make friends, Sam is angry and upset. He misses Milo too much to let someone else into his life. Then Martha offers her help with the treehouse, and Sam is torn. He’s not sure it’s okay to finish the treehouse with someone else, but he knows he can’t do it alone.
As Sam and Martha build the treehouse and a friendship, Sam realises there’s space in his heart for old and new friends together.
About the Creators
Michael Engler has created comic books and worked in advertising, but is now a full-time writer working in theatre, radio and books. His picture books have been translated into numerous languages. Michael lives in Dusseldorf, Germany.
Joëlle Tourlonias is the award-winning illustrator of almost 200 books. Joëlle lives with her family in the countryside near Frankfurt, Germany.
More picture books about friendship and emotions
Handling change and big emotions can be difficult, especially for young children. Here are four other picture books that deal with similar themes from loss to moving away.
Friends moving away: Cherry Blossom and Paper Planes
Jef Aerts and Sanne te Loo
Adin and Dina are best friends who love to plant cherry stones around their little village in the countryside. Then one day Adin and his family move away to the city. Will their friendship survive the new distance between them? This is a touching story of true friendship, resilience, belief – and a little bit of magic – illuminated with stunning artwork full of seasonal detail, light and hope.
Making friends and embracing differences: When Little Owl Met Little Rabbit
Przemysław Wechterowicz and Emilia Dziubak
Little Owl and Little Rabbit live in the same oak tree, but they’ve never met. When they discover they are neighbours, the pair are desperate to meet. But how can they, when Little Owl is waking up just as Little Rabbit is going to sleep?
A sweet, lyrical story of a budding friendship between a young owl and a young rabbit whose different lives keep them from meeting, with charming illustrations of the natural world. Perfect for bedtime.
Overcoming loss and finding hope and friendship: The House of Lost and Found
by Martin Widmark and Emilia Dziubak
A beautiful and uplifting story of hope from a bestselling author and award-winning illustrator. Niles lives alone in a big house full of junk and memories. Until one day a boy appears, asking Niles to care for his plant. As he cares for the growing plant, Niles starts to care for himself again and finds hope and friendship.
Moving home and making friends: Mina Belongs Here
by Sandra Niebuhr-Siebert and Lars Baus
When Mina starts kindergarten in her new country the only word she understands is her name. Mina’s experience of learning a new language and adapting to her environment will build empathy in young readers, and will be familiar to many young children moving to a new place or facing other new and daunting situations themselves.
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