Santat, D. (2014). The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend. Little, Brown & Company.
Summary
In a land where imaginary friends wait to be imagined, we find Beekle waiting longer than anyone else. When he finally decides he's waiting too long, he does the unimaginable; he goes to find his own friend. By following Beekle's adventure into the real world, readers get to experience what it's like to seek friendship in a world where it's hard to actually make friends. Santat's story takes readers from sadness to joy, from loneliness to acceptance in this story of pursuing your own dream. Beekle finds friendship in a way he is not expecting, and readers can learn from the acceptance found throughout this story.
A Teacher's Perspective
This story has a beautiful theme of finding friendship and acceptance when hope is lost. The dust jacket (above) is different from the book's hard cover, but if lost, readers will enjoy a beautiful image of Beekle himself on the cover. At the beginning of the endpapers, readers find Beekle alone while all the other imaginary friends are with their imagineers. At the end, Beekle and his friend are spotted smiling together. There are two page spreads that showcase beautiful scenery and images of city life, parks, trees, and bird's eye views of Beekle and his friend together. I would definitely recommend this lovely story to perhaps a counselor, or a teacher of younger grades, to teach empathy and acceptance of others, and to help convey how to go out and find your own happiness.
Want to know more?
To purchase your own copy of Beekle: Click here!
Want a wonderful read aloud for your classroom? Try this!
If you decide to use Beekle for your classroom, here are a few discussion questions you can use with your students!
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