by Kate DeCamillo & Alison McGhee
illustrated by Tony Fucile
Candlewick Press, 2010. 81 pgs.
Reading Level: ages 4-8
Hardcover: $15.99
Annotation: Crazy socks, pet fish and piles of pancakes are just some of the things that test Bink & Gollie's friendship.
Summary: Bink & Gollie are the best of friends but couldn't be more different. Bink is short and stout with crazy blonde hair that sticks up like straw-colored lightning bolts and Gollie is ever so tall and thin with short brown hair. One day the girls decide to go roller-skating as Gollie has a "need for speed". On the way they spy a sock store and Bink buys some crazy striped socks that Gollie is opposed to. Gollie asks Bink to remove them and promises to make her pancakes in return. Now Bink loves her pancakes, but she also loves her socks. What to do? The girls must compromise and Bink agrees to remove one sock in return for a short stack of pancakes. Later, Gollie realizes she hasn't had an adventure lately and by spinning her globe, her fingers stop in the Andes. And so she is off to climb the Andes mountains (all within the confines of her own home that is). But, Bink wants her to come out to play and the sign Gollie has tacked to the door saying she is on a journey and can't be disturbed doesn't deter Bink at all. She comes back again and again to try and entice Gollie off the mountains with promises of a snack. Sadly, it doesn't work and Bink must wait and wait until Gollie makes it to the top and lets her come in and share in the glory of a well-climbed mountain. Their final adventure involved a pet fish named Fred that Bink acquires at the local pet store. He is indeed a marvelous companion, but Gollie becomes slightly jealous that he seems to be taking top priority in Bink's affections. What will happen when the fish is thrown from his bowl in a roller-skating catastrophe? Well, you'll have to read it to find out whether Gollie saves the day or not.
Evaluation: This book would have charmed the pants of Dr. Seuss, it did for me! The language is clever, clever, clever. I love the way these girls talk to each other. It's a mixture of kid-speak, old-fashioned politeness and repetitive poetics. The storyline is fanastic and oh so funny and the accompanying illustrations are magical. Gollie lives in a tree house! But what makes the images pop are the bright spots of color on each page. The background buildings, couches, streets etc are all done in black and white while the girls (and their pet fish, socks and pancakes) are painted in full-bodied color. The girls have such distinct personalities and the artist's depiction of their physical differences reflects their inner individualism. The book is so very enticing because the protagonists are girls the reader can relate to, but at the same time there are magical elements (such as Gollie climbing the high snowy mountains of the Andes within the confines of her tree house) that make the story magical and fantastical. In essence it is simply genius and so very deserving of the Geisel award.
Significance: Although rewarding, friendship can be difficult and Bink & Gollie have to navigate several tests of true friendship. The book teaches readers about compromise, how to proceed when one of your friends is busy and can't come out to play and what to do when your friend suddenly acquires a more marvelous companion than you.
Personal Choice: Okay, I judged a book by it's title, but this one was so fabulous I had to read it. It was completely Dr. Seussical and after letting a young friend read it she admired it as well, although I think I might have been even more delighted than she.
Awards: Theodor Seuss Geisel Award Winner, 2011 / Junior Library Guild Selection / ALA Notable Children's Books for Younger Readers
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