Bink and Gollie

Bink and Gollie are great friends. The best of friends. Marvelous companions to the end, using their remarkable treehouse as a base for their adventures. But these two girls are vastly different too. Bink is short, impetuous and loves her brightly colored socks. Gollie is tall and a bit more serious but nonetheless has a flair for adventure. Though they do not always agree, the two girls share three delightful adventures - one involving Bink's socks, one with an adventure in the Andes, and another featuring a third marvelous companion - in this brilliant new book, Bink and Gollie, written by aclaimed authors Kate DiCamillo and Alison McGhee.

I have to say that this is one of the most brilliant books that I've seen this year. Not quite a picture book, not quite an easy reader, and not quite a chapter book, this is a piece of work that truly stands on its own and could appeal to a wide range of readers. The illustrations by Tony Fucile are vibrant and fun, with soft lines for the background and bright colors for the two girls. There are only a few sentences on each page, but the vocabulary features delightfully big words (including "spectacular" and "baffled") and a formalized tone that will make readers smile. This is a book that I truly envision being shared - parents reading with their children, and kids sharing with their friends. This deceptively and elegantly simple book begs to be read aloud and the characters beg to be loved - and with spunky and imaginative girls like Bink and Gollie readers will find both tasks easy.

Overall Grade: A+