Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend by Dan Santat (review)

On “an island far away,” an imaginary friend—a pint-sized, marshmallowy guy sporting a golden crown—longs for the day when a child will “imagine” him, and thus choose and name him. As the days pass and he remains unchosen, the intrepid fellow goes in search of his intended child, leaving his imaginary home for the real world, “a strange place. No kids were eating cake. No one stopped to hear the music. And everyone needed naptime.” Even the seemingly rich pickings of a playground yield no result, until finally a girl named Alice chooses him; once she dubs him “Beekle” a bond is formed, and the two go on to have adventures, both real and imaginary, together. Pithy writing combines with the rich, slightly stylized illustrations (in pencil, crayon, watercolor, ink, and Photoshop on matte pages) to give an elegant edge to the storytelling. Pudgy white Beekle is a lovable toylike figure (kids will particularly giggle at his “rear” view, in which butt cheeks are subtly indicated), and the visual contrasts between the bright-hued, multi-patterned imaginary world and the darker, drabber real world are striking (especially lovely is the rainbow-scaled sea serpent he encounters). This tale could enhance multiple educational or storytime themes—friendship, imagination, journeys—and could be used to spark some imaginative writing or art activities; it might also inspire the development of some new imaginary friends.