The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend (Caldecott Medal Winner)
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4.6 • 111 Ratings
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- $10.99
Publisher Description
Winner of the Caldecott Medal
#1 New York Times bestselling and award-winning creator Dan Santat combines classic storytelling with breathtaking art in an unforgettable tale about friendship, imagination, and the courage to find one's place in the world.
This magical story begins on an island far away where an imaginary friend is born. He patiently waits his turn to be chosen by a real child, but when he is overlooked time and again, he sets off on an incredible journey to the bustling city, where he finally meets his perfect match and--at long last--is given his special name: Beekle.
From the creator of many beloved books including After the Fall and Are We There Yet? comes a gently humorous, utterly endearing and deeply thoughtful celebration of friends.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
On an island of imaginary friends waiting "to be picked by a child and given a special name," one friend he's adorably pudgy, and wears a paper crown resolves to wait no longer. He sets sail in a small boat, but the sea serpents and whales he encounters are not nearly as daunting as the real world, which is gray and pedestrian: "No kids were eating cake. No one stopped to hear the music." At last, his human appears: she's a geeky, mop-headed girl who likes to draw. A sweet sequence shows the two shifting and blushing next to each other; she turns to him with his new name: "Beekle." He's overjoyed. Santat (Crankenstein), a versatile and talented illustrator, ranges wide, drawing underwater ocean scenes, grim cityscapes, and appealing alien creatures. The third-person retelling weighs the story down somewhat there's no conversation and the pace drags as Beekle's search has more obstacles than it needs to. Affirming thoughts abound ("thinking about his friend gave him the courage to journey on"), but fans may miss the cracked humor of Santat's more irreverent work. Ages 3 6.
Customer Reviews
Greatest book ever
This makes you fall sleep quicker and it the best book ever
Really good - Ian, age 7
It is filled with adventure. It is really sad, but good, then happy.
A true classic
On par with the best of children’s literature throughout history.