Bink & Gollie

K-Gr 3—Kate DeCamillo and Alison McGhee's humorous tale (Candlewick, 2010) about friendship has won numerous well-deserved awards, including the Theodor Seuss Geisel Medal. Bink and Gollie live in an exotic tree house and often communicate by walkie-talkie. These three short stories feature tall, sensible Gollie who has a rich imagination and a formal way of speaking, and short, tow-headed Bink who is more impulsive and spontaneous. Multi-colored socks create a temporary rift and require compromise. An imaginary trip is taken to the Andes, with annoying interruptions. A fish captures Bink's heart, but its survival depends on Gollie's quick thinking. Each tale is both simple and multi-layered, with overlapping themes. Tony Fucile's illustrations have been nicely animated, and original music has been composed by David Mansfield. Kate Micucci and Rikki Lindhome provide the voices for the main characters. A five-minute interview with the illustrator offers some background about his career as well as his inspiration and techniques. A read-along feature is optional. This is a joyous celebration of friendship with its occasional bumps and irritations, but underlying strength and commitment. Viewers will delight in the stories and their warm, humorous messages.—Teresa Bateman, Brigadoon Elementary, Federal Way, WA