The New York Times Book Review - Sarah Harrison Smith
…[a] sweet, mind-bending gumdrop of a tale…
From the Publisher
Caldecott Medal Winner
New York Times Bestseller
#1 Indiebound Bestseller
Huffington Post Best Overall Picture Book of 2014
PBS Parents Best Picture Book of the Year
NPR "Great Read"
ALSC Notable Book for ChildrenA Chicago Public Library Best Picture Book of the Year
"[A] sweet, mind-bending gumdrop of a tale."—The New York Times Book Review
"Bursting at the seams with charm."—The Huffington Post
* "There's something here that feels just right as an "unimaginary" friendship creates a joyous, recognizable bond. A terrific addition to any library."—School Library Journal (starred review)
"Beekle [is] a crowned white gumdrop of lovable cuteness...Welcome, Beekle. It's nice to know you."—Kirkus Reviews
"This story would comfort children looking for new friends and would also encourage children to reach out to someone different."—LMC
The Huffington Post
Praise for The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend:
Dan Santat is one of the hardest working people in the industry today. And while his immense talent was always evident, Beekle takes his artistry to a new level. The story (which is just bursting at the seams with charm) begins on an island of colorful creatures, each waiting to be imagined by a special child and thus transported to the real world.... As with all great books, Beekle has an air of inevitability about it. As if somewhere out there is an island of perfect stories just waiting for the right person to come along and imagine it into being. We should all be grateful that Santat, with his brilliant use of color and humor, was here to bring Beekle to life.
Kirkus Reviews
2014-02-26
If an imaginary friend is unimagined, does it become a real friend? Beekle (a crowned white gumdrop of lovable cuteness) lives on a fantastic island with other creatures "waiting to be imagined by a real child." After seeing his companions leave, one by one, Beekle loses faith that he will ever "be picked and given a special name," and so he does "the unimaginable" and ventures forth to find his friend. Upon arriving at a port city, he observes adults going about their daily lives in monochrome, dingy settings that lack any spark of color or vitality. Perspectives that often isolate the tiny Beekle in corners or surround him with large figures accentuate his loneliness. Everything changes when he arrives at a playground awash in color and sees children playing with their imaginary friends—many of whom had been on his island. But even here, he still cannot find his special friend. Feeling sad, he climbs a tree, and from his perch, he hears a voice calling to him. Lo and behold, he meets his special friend, Alice. She's imagined him after all, as evidenced by the picture he retrieves for her, which is of himself handing her a picture. In a delightful comic sequence, the pair become acquainted, and "[t]he world began to feel a little less strange." Welcome, Beekle. It's nice to know you. (Picture book. 3-7)
