Module 3: The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend

Summary: Beekle is an imaginary friend without a child to befriend him. After waiting a long time, he ventures into the real world to find his friend. Instead, he finds a cold world without any joy until he discovers a playground full of children. When he thinks all is lost, a young girl spots him up in a tree. Alice recognizes him and they become fast friends.

Citation:

Santat, D. (2014). The adventures of Beekle: The unimaginary friend. New York, NY: Little, Brown and Company.

Impressions: I love how Santat's work in this books likes retro and modern at the same time. The depth of emotion his characters convey makes the story more touching and immediate. You feel for Beekle and rejoice when he finds Alice. The story itself is very simply but when combined with the expressive artwork, it creates a powerful story.

Reviews:
PreS-Gr 2— How long would you wait and how far a journey would you make to find your truest friend? Born on an island for imaginary friends, Beekle waits to be "imagined by a real child." He waits and he waits, but his turn never comes. Filled with impetuous courage, Beekle does the unimaginable and heads out across deep waters until he reaches the real world. He finds that life there is so harried that no one notices him. Eventually, as he waits at the top of a star-leafed tree, a small girl with a friendly face calls out to him with a picture in her hand. They learn to be friends, share adventures and snacks, joke, "and together they did the unimaginable." Santat's attention to detail in the mixed-media illustrations shares a child's eye for laughter and movement on full-bleed spreads with strategically placed text. Gazes of wonderment, broad smiles, and changes in perspective ensure an easy transition from page to page. Beekle's round white visage and taped orange paper crown are immediately identifiable in each scene, a sharp contrast to his surroundings against variations of dark neutrals on a city street or the brightly colored dragons of a child's imagination. Like Beekle's new friend, there's something here that feels just right as an "unimaginary" friendship creates a joyous, recognizable bond. A terrific addition to any library.—Mary Elam, Learning Media Services, Plano ISD, TX

Elam, M. (2014, April). Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend. School Library Journal, 60(4), 134-134. Retrieved February 7, 2016, from Book Review Digest Plus (H.W. Wilson). 

Library Use: Inspired by the drawings in the front and back of kids with their imaginary friends, I would do an art program where kids could design their own imaginary friend using a variety of media ranging from paint and paper to 3-D sock friends.