Button boy by Rebecca Young and Sue deGennaro

Scholastic, 2011. ISBN 978 1741697971.
Picture book. Banjo loved collecting buttons, but in so doing missed out on making friends at school and at home, so intent was he on searching for buttons. He collected so many that his mother sewed them onto his jumper. Each morning as he walked along the street, he found people with a button missing on their coat or cardigan or jumper, and so gave up some of his buttons for them to use. This happened so often, that soon he was without any buttons for himself. Stepping out into the street he wondered what he would collect now and soon discovered that he was collecting friends, the best thing of all.
Cute illustrations paralleling the story will delight students as they read this book. The text follows some of the illustrations taking the eye across the page in an unusual way, and the repetition of what he does each day will lead readers to predict what is coming and join in.
Fran Knight