Q and U Call It Quits

by Stef Wade, Jorge Martin (Illustrator)

What happens when best friends Q and U quarrel? From author Stef Wade and illustrator Jorge Martin, this quirky picture book about friendship and letter learning will get readers excited to think about letter combinations.

Q and U have always been quality friends. They quilt together, they go on quests—they are a true squad.

But sometimes, U wants some time to herself, even though Q gets lonely. When the other letters notice that Q and U have split up, they decide they want to do the same. And utter chaos ensues!

Can Q and U come together to quell all the mayhem and help the other letters repair their friendships?

Genres: Picture Books, Friendship, Childrens, Humor, Fiction, Storytime

32 pages, Hardcover

First published June 15, 2021

About the author

Stef is the best-selling author of A PLACE FOR PLUTO, THE VERY LAST LEAF & Q&U CALL IT QUITS, MOVING TO MARS and EVERY DAY'S A HOLIDAY.

A PLACE FOR PLUTO was a 2018 Barnes & Noble story time pick, 2019 TXLA 2×2 Reading List Book, 2019 UK Summer Reading Challenge book, a 2019 LITA Golden Duck Notable Picture Book, and runner-up for the 2020 Magnolia Book Award.

Stef is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). She’s bounced all over the midwest with her college sweetheart husband and her three historically and literary named brood of boys and currently resides in the greater Milwaukee area.

Stef is represented by Christa Heschke of McIntosh & Otis.

For more information, visit www.stefwade.com.

Reviews

[Jon Nakapalau · Rating 5 out of 5]

'Q' needs 'U' more than 'U' needs 'Q' - and that is the premise of this book on friendship. We all have close friends who help make us better - friends that 'combine' with our strengths to make us even stronger. But we all need time alone - time to develop who we are. This would be a great book for a small child who has had an argument with their best friend. It will help them put their relationship in perspective when things cool down. Wonderful illustrations!

[Michelle Andersen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Q AND U CALL IT QUITS is so clever! This charming book will have you giggling from beginning to end. An alphabet book like no other, Q and U Call it Quits is really a book about friendships. There are teachable moments throughout, from letter pairing to dealing with feelings of being left out. Parents won't tire from reading this clever book over and over again. And if you're looking for that special teacher gift, look no further, this is it!

[Erin Dealey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh no! What happens when your best friend feels too clingy? Or you feel left out when your bestie makes other friends? Kids will relate to the friendship issues in Q and U Call It Quits by Stef Wade and illustrator Jorge Martin. And PreK-1st teachers will love the Letter-play of Wade's text. (I can imagine a lot of extension activities from this book too.) QUite fUn!

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A clever and witty alphabet-themed friendship story.

[Katelyn Aronson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliantly witty book that both pre-readers and beginning readers will adore. Q & U are inseparable, until Q realizes that he needs U more than she needs him. After all, U can pair herself with all kinds of letters in order to have a good time...whereas Q can't form any words without U by his side! A little QUarrel, then U starts taking more alone time, and before you know it, Q & U have split! News of the breakup sends a rift through the entire alphabet, and spelling chaos ensues! This is perhaps THE most clever book of 2021. Teachers and parents: Get this book for a kid learning phonics; you won't regret it!

[Karla Valenti · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is adorable! The theme of friendship is explored in a wholly unique way while also providing an excellent study on language. Each page offers a twist or a joke or an unexpected moment of "awwww" - hooking you from the very first moment to the last. This is an easy favorite for readers young and old (and a must-have for all educators).

[Benson Shum · Rating 5 out of 5]

Q & U call it quits is a charming story about friendship written by Stef Wade. I love the play on words and letters. Especially when Q tries to befriend other letters but can’t quite make it work. I love how the illustrator, Jorge Martin, brought life to the letters with their fun shoes, hairstyles and expressions.

[Karen Arendt · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great alphabet but but also a good primer for friendships.

[Julie Abery · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a clever book! A story about best friends Q and U, who are a “sQUad” and do everything together, until the day U realizes she doesn’t need Q as much as he needs her. As U makes friends with the other letters, Q begins to feel very sad and left out. U then needs some own time, leading to other letters taking breaks and chaos ensues, but happily Q and U come together to save the day. Friendships are such a difficult thing for children to navigate at times, and this book captures the ups and downs so very well, and is a brilliant phonics lesson all at the same time!!

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I agree! Q and U Call It Quits by Stef Wade and Jorge Martin is adorable, charming, and brilliantly witty! As it travels the ups and downs of friendship, it also provides fantastic reinforcement for letters that go together. Q and U are QUick friends. T and H are THick as THieves. It all goes beautifully until U realizes she can hang out with more letters than Q. (I told you it was witty.) Q gets a little needy. U wants time alone. And suddenly all the letters are arguing about being on their own. But don’t worry. Q and U come together for one powerful word (Can you guess it?) that brings all the letters together again for a wonderfully fun and satisfying ending!

[Sophia Gholz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an adorable story featuring the theme of celebrating both friendship and the importance of a little alone time. Kids will relate to the Q & U’s plight, while laughing out loud at the word play. This fun read aloud is clever, sweet and humorous. Q and U Call It Quits will make a great addition to all libraries and bookshelves!

[Viviane Elbee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clever alphabet book where the letter Q and U decide to split up for awhile, leading other letters to split too, which leads to chaos. Funny for kids who are learning to spell words as they will get the spelling chaos that happens when letters are missing.

[Sandy Brehl · Rating 5 out of 5]

In overall appeal, this is a story of soulmates, a perfect pair, two who are meant for each other. When jealousy and resentment, differing needs, and general misunderstandings develop, real conflict and eventual resolution follow a strong story arc. The fact that these "characters" are actual letter characters only makes the story (and analogy) all the more appealing.

Wade's word play, strong secondary stories, and ultimate resolve are grin-worthy and provide rich resources for teachers, parents, and kids who want to explore the many ways in which our English alphabet relies on teamwork, flexibility, and careful attention. The very real emotional landscape suits young readers perfectly, ones who struggle with sharing (or making) friendships and setting boundaries without offending.

Martin's illustrations place these dynamic letter folks in a subtle virtual life in which everyday play and problems are confronted with kid-friendly reactions, conveyed through remarkably expressive eyes and line-mouths, activated only by stick arms and a pair of legs each. Using those limited elements, their adept application opens fully-lived lives in this colorful and dynamic world of letters.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

On the surface this is a fun and light-hearted story using letters as a cast of characters—cleverly using the letters Q and U, who always appear together in words, for a friendship story. But what is so wonderful about this book is how the author uses this premise to dig into some rather real and serious friendship issues that kids (and let’s be honest, adults too!) face in real life. Who hasn’t felt pangs of jealousy when their closest bestie started developing friendships with others? And the flip side of such relationship is equally fraught—no one wants to hurt their best friend's feelings, but they should also feel free to spend time with others as well. With this book, readers will be treated to an entertaining and funny story while also helping them navigate the best ways to deal with their own friendship ups and downs.

[Lindsay Bonilla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Q and U are best buddies. But lately U is feeling suffocated by Q and longs to spend time with other friends and/or alone. But with U off with other friends, Q feels totally alone. She needs U!

This story is so clever and relatable. Anyone who has ever felt suffocated by a friend or left out (which I imagine is everyone!) will appreciate this fun story.
From an educational standpoint, I love the way the book cleverly shows digraphs and blends (2 concepts my son learned last year in 1st grade). My son enjoyed pointing these out, and I can see this book being a great tool for teachers to bring this concept to life.

This book nicely balances the idea that we can all be friends and accomplish great things together; however, in order to do so, we also need our own personal space/time, to most fully be ourselves.

[Jolynne Dougherty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Word play, alphabet, friendship - This is a witty book. I might share it with a young elementary school class (first or second grade). It's the story of Q and U. Q and U are always together. U wants to go its own way for a bit. It hooks up with N and has some adventures, but poor Q isn't much good on their own. Other letters decide that they want to split up as well. With S and H not talking, "there was no way to SHHH! or HUSH the crowd". Lots of word play that is sure to engage beginning readers.

Spoiler alert: I really appreciated that U decides to reunite with Q for the good of the Alphabet community, but in a healthy way. U recognizes that there's value in going off and being your own letter for a bit.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Q and U are friends, just like T and H. They did everything together: making a quilt, having a quest, but U has other friends, Q does not. When U is playing with S (us) Q feels left out. Eventually they take some time apart. All the other letters think alone time would be great, but soon realize they need each other, especially Q & U.

Oh, this is a darling story - so cute and a great example of all the blended letters we use in English. The illustrations are busy and fun. The letters have such great personalities. I like that the text shows the blended letters in red so they are easy to notice. I would love to read this with a class. How fun to think of other words with similar blends. So much fun.

Cross posted to http://kissthebookjr.blogspot.com

[Nina · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a super sad story about the letters Q and U's friendship. They are together so much and U gets tired of it so they wander off in search of other letters to make friends (and words) with. Eventually, they miss one another and come back together. The sad part of the story is that U can make other friends and words with other letters, but Q can't. So while U eventually comes back and wants to be friends with Q again, poor Q has just been waiting around not able to make other friends until U comes back! It was sad and ultimately I was looking more for a book that explained why Q and U are best friends and are always seen together in words, but this story didn't really do that. The premise is still a cute one though.

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

What happens when letter blends decide they don't want to spend more time together? It leads to some hurt feelings and plenty of problems. It also leads to some quiet time for U to relax and be himself. Q is hurt when U does not want to be together all the time. U wants some space, and Q does not know how to interact with other letters. When the other letters realize the two are not together, they begin to separate too. Each does their own thing and that works for a while but everyone comes to realize they need each other too.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Q and U Call It Quits is a cute alphabet themed friendship. It's full of different Q and U sounds, and words as well as fun tongue twisters. It also shows a cute and witty friendship between the two letters. This book is perfect for beginners. The colors and the images are also follow to look and follow along with. Thinking from an educators view point, this book can also be used with the letter blends such as Q & U and T & H.

[Jami Gigot · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so witty and fun! First and foremost it’s a story of friendship. How we depend on and enjoy spending time together but also how we also need our own space at times. And it’s cleverly done using common combinations of letters like Q and U which makes it educational too. A fabulous book for kids who are learning to navigate their feelings as they make new friendships with an extra bonus of being a great learning tool!

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun book of word play. It might be hard to do at story time, but it could be fun in a class room setting where they are studying words. U needs some time off from Q, so they take a break. But it causes other letters to break up as well. The author did a great job with all the puns and word play, I just wish they could have found a way to use Q words without the U. They do exist. It would have been a great way to introduce them.

[Rebecca Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book with lots to focus on. Letter's and how the fit together (QU in quick), the letter's by themselves (Q or S), getting along with others, how being with someone all the time can become exhausting (so it's good to have friends), having alone time, SO MUCH! So cute. Fun storyline with the different colored letters in the sentences.

[Dina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great picture book! The idea of letter blends (the Q & U, the T & H, etc.) is a novel idea for a picture book and it takes an alphabet book up to the next level. I will using this book as a read aloud for my 1st & 2nd graders — the colorful pictures, blend examples and simple text will help me “sale” this book. Two thumbs up for this book!

[Sheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the story because it told the relationship of a q and u in a word and other digraphs and diphthongs that share a sound. All about letters and cartoonish when one letter can act alone in a word and sound different in a twosome. And letters like th, wr, sl, ch, sh, wh, and others are cartoon-like and mentioned. Some can stand alone with a sound and others must work together.

[JaNay Brown-Wood]

A witty and quirky exploration of the relationships between letters in the English language, with comical illustrations. This book can certainly be used to encourage discussion about letters that that can go together such as digraphs and trigraphs.

[Patricia Newman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kids will love the clever word play in this adorable friendship story. The bright illustrations match the text perfectly. The letters and letter combinations are highlighted to help the youngest readers identify them. I can see this book being enjoyed both at home and in the classroom. Bravo!

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This teaches language by how letters pair up to form words. The saddest thing was when C and H broke up. That meant there was no more cheese. The author didn't mention chocolate, but I didn't miss that one. Those are my two biggest food weaknesses.

[Colorado Buck · Rating 4 out of 5]

loved this look at how the letters need each other to make bigger words. it's got a great message. loved how they all came back together at the end. not just about qu. also is about st and th and other sounds. clever play on words in here. great story.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

One day u realizes that q needs her more than she needs him, so she says she doesn't want to be friends anymore. Which breaks the whole alphabet apart. I liked the creativeness of the letters being the characters.