Behold the fun of compound words in this poetic ode to friendship with bright splashes of color and bold drawings.

In Be/Hold: A Friendship Book visual artist, poet, and musician Shira Erlichman opens with the line, "Sweetheart, sometimes when I'm feeling blue I put my ear to the wind & listen for you," building a one-of-a-kind story of friendship from her love of compound words (i.e. toothbrush, windbreaker, behold) in a book that uplifts, encourages, and honors the people we care about most. With an afterword exploring compound words and accompanying word play activity.

Using word play and bright splashes of color, this one-of-a-kind story of friendship uplifts, encourages, and honors the people we care about most. Full color.

"An ode to the pleasures and surprises of compound words: 'the smallest poem in the English language'. Erlichman writes short lines of love and comfort, addressed to an unspecified 'you' and laced throughout with standard or newly fashioned compound words: 'A friendship is like that. / With sails powered by / the deepest of breaths. / Some might call it a loveship? / or a songship?or a wowship? / and they'd be right. / But even if your ship's makeshift, / come beloved, be loved / by me'."-Kirkus Reviews