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A review by gymnerdreader
The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend by Dan Santat
5.0
Annotated Bibliography Entry: The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend by Dan Santat
Summary:
Beekle, an unimaginary friend is born on a fantasy island where imaginary friends are born and they spend their entire life waiting for children to imagine them. Beekle patiently waits for his life's calling, however that day never comes. Determined to become a child's imaginary friend and fulfill his own purpose, Beekle sets out to the real world where he tries to search for a friend. At first, his efforts seem in vain as he does not encounter a whole lot of children, just adults. However he runs into some luck when he comes across a little girl in need of a friend of her own. The two strike up a friendship, Beekle fulfills his ultimate purpose and the little girl has a friend of her very own. All was right in the world! :)
Personal Response:
This book made my heart happy. It is just so cute and I could definitely imagine children falling in love with this story. I really love the fantasy aspect of the story and the thing I love most of all is that the fantasy world of Beekle and the real world connect seamlessly together, which makes for a compelling fictional story. My favorite part about the story were the illustrations, which made me fall in love with the story even more.
Descriptions of Illustrations:
The illustrations are very cartoon-esque and for me, it made the story come alive. It was like watching a animated movie crossover where the animated character comes to life in a real world setting, but maintaining his cartoon appearance. That is what the illustrations reminded me of and I felt that aspect made the illustrations more vibrant. You could tell how the strange the world was to Beekle because the illustrations made you feel that sense of strangeness. Awesome illustrations that enhanced the story and made the story come to life.
Classroom Connections:
This is a perfect read aloud and a perfect book to introduce to children about fiction and non-fiction books. This is book blends both realistic and fantasy elements it would be a good book to use to introduce children to the elements of fantasy and character traits. Children discuss the fan stash elements present in the story and they could also list the character traits of Beekle and the other characters. Then they could create their own stories to illustrate that concept. I feel like children having the opportunity to create their own stories is a great opportunity for children to practice their writing skills and express their creativity at the same time. Besides this activity, children could make their own imaginary friends to go along with their stories, which would be a way to integrate the arts in with this particular lesson. Then the whole thing could be put on display, which kids love. It would be a great opportunity for children to show off their creativity. This is the perfect book to build that foundation!
Summary:
Beekle, an unimaginary friend is born on a fantasy island where imaginary friends are born and they spend their entire life waiting for children to imagine them. Beekle patiently waits for his life's calling, however that day never comes. Determined to become a child's imaginary friend and fulfill his own purpose, Beekle sets out to the real world where he tries to search for a friend. At first, his efforts seem in vain as he does not encounter a whole lot of children, just adults. However he runs into some luck when he comes across a little girl in need of a friend of her own. The two strike up a friendship, Beekle fulfills his ultimate purpose and the little girl has a friend of her very own. All was right in the world! :)
Personal Response:
This book made my heart happy. It is just so cute and I could definitely imagine children falling in love with this story. I really love the fantasy aspect of the story and the thing I love most of all is that the fantasy world of Beekle and the real world connect seamlessly together, which makes for a compelling fictional story. My favorite part about the story were the illustrations, which made me fall in love with the story even more.
Descriptions of Illustrations:
The illustrations are very cartoon-esque and for me, it made the story come alive. It was like watching a animated movie crossover where the animated character comes to life in a real world setting, but maintaining his cartoon appearance. That is what the illustrations reminded me of and I felt that aspect made the illustrations more vibrant. You could tell how the strange the world was to Beekle because the illustrations made you feel that sense of strangeness. Awesome illustrations that enhanced the story and made the story come to life.
Classroom Connections:
This is a perfect read aloud and a perfect book to introduce to children about fiction and non-fiction books. This is book blends both realistic and fantasy elements it would be a good book to use to introduce children to the elements of fantasy and character traits. Children discuss the fan stash elements present in the story and they could also list the character traits of Beekle and the other characters. Then they could create their own stories to illustrate that concept. I feel like children having the opportunity to create their own stories is a great opportunity for children to practice their writing skills and express their creativity at the same time. Besides this activity, children could make their own imaginary friends to go along with their stories, which would be a way to integrate the arts in with this particular lesson. Then the whole thing could be put on display, which kids love. It would be a great opportunity for children to show off their creativity. This is the perfect book to build that foundation!