by Dan Santat
Santat,
D. (2014). The adventures of Beekle: the unimaginary friend. New
York: Little, Brown, and Company.
On an island in a make-believe world, a new imaginary friend is born. He watches as others leave the island to be matched up with children. Curious about what is preventing his pairing, he sets out to bravely accomplish the unimaginable: find his friend in the real world. After navigating through many adults, he eventually finds a group of children and, finally, his perfect match.
When I first read this story, it seemed quite simplistic: a cute tale about an imaginary friend. It brought back memories of my childhood imaginary friends, Dino, a purple dinosaur, and Jabba, a cat. They lived under my bed. Interestingly, when I read the story a second time, I began noticing deeper nuances. True, this is a story about friendship, but it’s also a story about loneliness, perseverance in spite of fear, trust, and being yourself. This would be a great book to share with a PK or Kindergarten class on the first day of school, a child who is new to a school, or someone who is having trouble connecting with other children.
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An Interview with author, Dan Santat: https://geekdad.com/2015/05/dan-santat/
Dan Santat Interview at 2015 National Book Festival:
