Khalil lives upstairs with his family ad Mr. Hagerty lives downstairs. They are old and young, love having cake and cold milk together to help cool off, and share a few secrets that make them smile. The story is about their days, told by Tricia Springstubb in a story of genuine empathy for others, made all the more wonderful by Elaheh Taherian's full-color illustrations.

This 32 page book for ages 5-8 is a perfectly presented story about inter-generational and intercultural friendships.  Big on sentiment and heart while keeping the text short allows the compassion the two friends have for each other and their actions of showing how they feel toward one another speak volumes.  The illustrations appear to be cut paper and add to the thoughtfulness that the story presents.

Khalil and his family live upstairs and are noisy.  Mr. Hagerty is quiet and lives downstairs.  The two bond over their love of the back yard.  While Mr. Hagerty works in his garden, Khalil hunts for bugs and rocks and treasure.

When Khalil doesn't know a word, Mr. Hagerty teaches him.  When Mr. Hagerty can't remember a word, Khalil helps him.

That summer it is hot, really hot.  The carrots are all shriveled, and Khalil can't dig the hard earth for treasures either. So the two decide to have "refreshments," which means chocolate cake and milk.

That night, the two friends separately plot to cheer the other up.  They put their plan in to action and, no I'm not going to spoil the sweet acts the two do for each other.  But it is clever and sweet and all the things that make a feel good story stick with you and remind you that age and culture and color are nothing when two people open their hearts to learn and grow.

There is no reason anyone casually reading the book would think that Khalil is a Muslim, and who knows maybe he isn't, but the name Khalil caught my attention and the author's dedication is to a Khalil, Muhammad, Fatima, and Adam.  So yes, I totally am claiming it.  Even if it isn't, the old white man, and the young boy of color bonding is a great message in-and-of itself that we need to see more of in literature and real life.

Just a sweet and lovely story of friendship between neighbors. Reminds me a little of George and Martha stories and the simple sweetness of a friendship. #KhalilAndMrHagertyAndTheBackyardTreasures #NetGalley

Khalil and Mr. Hagerty is a cute story about a boy and an elderly downstairs neighbor who become friends. The illustrations are fitting and the story is thoughtful but, as an adult reading it, I couldn't help but wonder why no one was helping Mr. Hagerty with his developing Alzheimers. Yes, it's not the point of the story, but it is a missed opportunity. Overall, it's a cute story with a natural story progression, but a little too predictable.

Thank you NetGalley and Candlewick Press for the opportunity to read an advance reading copy.

A beautifully told cross-generational story of neighbors who find something special in common. Finding hidden treasures is the theme and encouraged me to be a believer in finding importance in the small things. During this time of separation from our normal lives, it is helpful to read stories that remind us to dream. Take care of your neighbors.

A lovely book about friendship, thoughtfulness, and curiosity. The titular characters share not just a house, but an appreciation of nature. Taherian’s collages provide a delightful accompaniment to Springstubb’s text, and make you feel like you’re in the neighborhood, too. Recommended for reading with babies up to younger school-aged children.

This was such a cute story. I liked the friendship and caring that the two characters had. I love that this was both a multigenerational story as well as a cross cultural story

Khalil and his family live in the upstairs apartment of a two family house. Mr. Hagerty lives alone in the downstairs apartment. Summer has come and Mr. Hagerty has been working on his garden in the backyard, while Khalil has been hunting for some interesting bugs and rocks, or just laying in the grass reading a library book. Mr. Hagerty often helps Khalil with hard, unfamiliar words and Khalil helps Mr. Hagerty find his misplaced items. Gradually they become friends, even sharing chocolate cake and cold milk together when it gets too hot. But both are discouraged - Mr. Hagerty with his vegetable garden, Khalil with the lack of good buried treasure. One night, they both get an idea that is sure to make the other very happy. And not only do their ideas work, but they become even better friends, happily enjoying each other's company and celebrating with some more delicious chocolate cake. Springstubb's text is warm, layered, and straightforward, just like the friendship that develops between these two lonely people and Taherian's oil and colored pencil collage illustrations done in a predominately green palette really demonstrates that warmth and layering. I just love a good intergenerational picture books and so do my young readers, most of whom see their grandparents regularly. And my kids got a kick out of the ending. I was only sorry we couldn't explore the illustrations together, but we had to read it on Zoom.

This was a fun read and a great way to show the importance of friends, I thought it was lovely!
I loved how Mr Hagerty and Khalil worked together too, it was such a great touch and it was a heart-warming tale. The book was easy to follow and understand too which made it a great one to read - 5 stars from us!

Summary: Khalil and his big, noisy family live in the upstairs part of a two-family house. Mr. Hagerty lives by himself downstairs. They both like to spend time in the backyard, Mr. Hagerty gardening and Khalil hunting for bugs, rocks, and buried treasure. Sometimes they help each other with words: Mr. Hagerty when Khalil can’t read a word in one of his library books, and Khalil when Mr. Hagerty can’t remember a word. One hot day, Khalil can’t find anything interesting and Mr. Hagerty only digs up small, shriveled carrots. Discouraged, they retreat to Mr. Hagerty’s place for some milk and chocolate cake. That night, they both have ideas, and each one sneaks out to bury something for the other to find. The next morning, Mr. Hagerty digs up big juicy carrots, while Khalil unearths some treasures to play with. They celebrate with carrots and more chocolate cake, and that night each one thinks about the same word: friend. 32 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros: A brief, but beautifully told story with collage illustrations are as bright and cheery as a summer day. Pair this with Birdsong by Julie Flett for a story hour celebrating intergenerational friendships.

Cons: I can’t help thinking Mr. Hagerty’s joy about his gardening success will be short-lived.

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. While my downloaded copy did not show any words, I got the gist of the story. A young boy and his neighbor are different people but find a way to work together. I loved the illustrations.

Khalil and Mr. Hagerty live together in the same house. Khalil a young boy lives up stairs while Mr. Hagerty an older man lives downstairs. A friendship bonds between them as they look for treasures in the backyard.

A generational children's book that makes the discovery that friendship is the greatest treasure.

A Special Thank you to Candlewick Press and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.

I love this book so, so much! The paper cutout illustrations are gorgeous and much more intricate than many other books illustrated in this style. There's so much good content here: friendship across generations, being a good neighbor, creative thinking, not to mention vocabulary building. The book spends a lot of time on opposites: Khalil lives upstairs in a loud house, Mr. Hagerty lives downstairs in a small house. The concept-centered structure makes this a good read for preschoolers, but the larger amount of text on a page and complex vocabulary words also give it appeal for elementary readers. Probably better for lapis or an older group audience as it is somewhat text heavy.