• Booklist Reviews : Booklist Reviews 2019 April #2
  An apple tree is the connecting image that runs through the story of four girls who become lifelong friends. Fair-skinned, red-headed Lottie, the adventurer, finds the tree first. Leela, who appears to be South Asian based on her later wedding attire, declares that the tree must be their secret meeting place. Sasha, with brown skin and dark curly hair, is always first on the scene when someone is hurt. Lastly there is blonde Alice, the born performer. The girls, all quite different, share their "secrets, dreams, worries, and schemes" beneath the tree. The soft, warm illustrations provide a panorama of their growth, through successes, challenges, and disagreements, but always their friendship is a constant. The four find love, experience loss, and build adult accomplishments with jobs and families. They participate in a Pride parade, showing support for one of the girls and her partner. While the book goes beyond the bounds of children's direct experience, its "girl power" message presents a reassuring view that friendships can grow, change, and shelter, just like the group's favorite tree. Grades 1-3. Copyright 2019 Booklist Reviews.

Lauren Ace is from South Wales, studied drama at the University of Exeter, and now lives in London, where she has worked in publishing for ten years. An award-winning publicist, Lauren looked after Julia Donaldson during her tenure as Children's Laureate and has managed World Book Day campaigns and the announcement of Chris Riddell as Children's Laureate. The Girls is her debut picture book. You can follow her on Twitter at @LaceyPR.

Jenny Løvlie is an illustrator and bird enthusiast from Ekkerøy, in northern Norway. She graduated with a BA in illustration and animation from Kingston University London in 2014. She draws a lot of inspiration from the Arctic landscape, flora, and fauna. Jenny is based in Cardiff, Wales.