“More than 15 years after the release of the White Stripes’s White Blood Cells, one of the most enduring songs from the album gets a quirky adaptation… Blake includes appealing retro flourishes throughout, including a Tenniel White Rabbit, a Betty Boop pocket watch, and a drawing style that evokes early Disney cartoons.”
— Publishers Weekly

“Jack has written a perfect story and Elinor’s art is enchanting.”
— John Kricfalusi, The Ren and Stimpy Show

Elinor Blake creates an enchanted vision for Jack White’s gentle story of new friendship.”—Nina Crews, The Neighborhood Mother Goose

"Possibly the greatest-ever song about childhood BFFs.”
— Entertainment Weekly

WATCH RARE WHITE STRIPES ARCHIVE PERFORMANCE OF “WE’RE GOING TO BE FRIENDS” AT FREEMAN’S BAY PRIMARY SCHOOL BELOW:

Twelve-time Grammy winner and lead singer of multi-platinum selling group The White Stripes, Jack White, released his first children’s book today titled WE’RE GOING TO BE FRIENDS.  Based on lyrics from one of The Whites Stripes’ most enduring and loved songs—and releasing just a few months after the group’s 20th anniversary (July 14, 2017)— the perennial favorite feels right at home on the page as a children's book. Get your copy of the book here. 

Beautifully illustrated by Elinor Blake, animator on Ren & Stimpy and Pee-wee’s Playhouse, in the signature colors of The White Stripes—red, white, and black—WE’RE GOING TO BE FRIENDS follows the adventures of the song’s protagonist, Suzy Lee, as she goes to school with her books and pens, looks for bugs, shows and tells, and finds a friend. Fans of The White Stripes will delight in this new way of experiencing the song—and sharing it with their children—while a new generation of music and book lovers will be introduced to the beloved song and its whimsical evocation of the simplicity and nostalgia of childhood, for the first time.

Every copy of WE’RE GOING TO BE FRIENDS also includes a download of the original White Stripes song and new versions by singer/songwriter, April March (also known as Elinor Blake), and The Woodstation Elementary School Singers.