The+Adventures+of+Beekle,+The+Unimaginary+Friend



Author/Illustrator: Dan Santat ISBN-13: 9780316199988 Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers Publishing Date: 04/08/2014 Age Range: 3-6 Years
 * __Bibliographical__** **__Data__**

//The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend// is the winner of the 2015 Caldecott Medal. The story details an imaginary friend's quest to find his real friend. After waiting an extensive amount of time and being continuously overlooked, the imaginary friend decides to take it upon himself to find a human friend. After journeying to the real world, he finds it is not as he thought it was, and becomes sad. Just as he resigns himself to a life of loneliness he meets a girl, Alice, and they become fast friends. She dubs him Beekle, thus solidifying their relationship. They both realize that they were meant for each other and their world's become a little less bleak: "Together they did the unimaginable."
 * __Summary__**

Dan Santat is the American author and illustrator of this award winning book, //The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend.// In addition to this, he as also has written //The Guild of Geniuses// and is the creator of the Disney Channel animated series //The Replacements.// He graduated from the University of California, and then later graduated from the Art Center College of Design. He currently resides in southern California. //The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend// is a wonderful children's book that exemplifies the importance of friendship, with the underlying theme of courage. The beautiful artwork combined with the heartwarming and inspirational plot line will allow young student's to see their own potential for courage, bravery, and great friendship. The subject material is relatable, as many young students between the ages of 3-6 have an imaginary friend, but takes an interesting twist to the perspective of the imaginary friend, rather than the human. Students will be able to appreciate and understand the bravery it takes for Beekle to journey to an unknown land (the unimaginable feat). His efforts do not go unnoticed for very long, and he attains a friend (his ultimate goal). Teachers can utilize this plot line and have students critically analyze the friendships in their own lives, and the brave or courageous things they have done. Furthermore, the colorful pages and child-friendly illustrations that Santat has created provide a certain magical, or mystical, element to the story. Overall, this book is a well-written and well-illustrated example of exceptional elementary literature.
 * __Author Biography__**
 * __Review__**

An important literary element in //The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend// is the underlying theme of courage. While it is not explicitly stated, Beekle uses an extreme amount of courage to do the "unimaginable," and journey to find his own friend, rather than waiting around. In addition, Alice uses an extreme amount of courage to initially talk to Beekle. Together, they warm too each other and find what they have been searching for: a true friend. In the end, they use their combined courage to tackle the real world and do the "unimaginable." Students will be able to infer this courage from the illustrations and the story itself. This theme is an important societal value that students should be able to grasp. In depicting courage, rather than explicitly stating it, Santat allows young students to begin their understanding of the essence of courage, and the positive outcomes it may bring. Furthermore, teachers can use this information and have students apply their knowledge of courage to their real-world surroundings. Overall, the theme is depicted well and strengthens the quality of this book.
 * __Analysis__** **__of Literary Element__**