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Bink and Gollie (Junior Library Guild Selection (Candlewick Press))

by Tony Fucile
96p. 978-0-76363-266-3.
COPY ISBN
Three short stories star Bink, a petite and excitable dervish with wide eyes and yellow sticky-out hair, and Gollie, Bink's lanky, unflappable, erudite best friend. They live in separate apartments of a funky two-family treehouse: Bink in a gingerbread-style dwelling at the foot of the tree and Gollie in a mod-inspired pad at the tippy top. The pals agree about many things—roller-skating, pancakes—but there's also some real friction. In "Don't You Need a New Pair of Socks?" Gollie disapproves mightily of Bink's rainbow-colored socks. "You remove your outrageous socks, and I will make pancakes," says Gollie, suggesting a compromise that isn't really one. Bink storms off, fuming, "The problem with Gollie…is that it's either Gollie's way or the highway." By the end of the story the girls have found a true compromise, but there are more difficulties to work through in "P.S. I'll Be Back Soon" and "Give a Fish a Home." DiCamillo and McGhee are entirely successful in portraying the bumps in the road and bruised feelings that can come with friendship. The rewards, though, are also apparent, as the two besties snuggle together against the elements (that exist only in Gollie's imagination) and finally find some mutually acceptable uses for Bink's eye-offending footwear. Fucile's unfussy digital illustrations with lots of white space perfectly highlight this odd couple's particularities. ELISSA GERSHOWITZ
Gr 1—3—In three humorous interconnected stories, Gollie, a self-confident girl who lives in a fashionable, contemporary house, and Bink, her rumpled but lovable, impish friend, are adventure-seeking companions, each with her own strong will. In the first tale, Bink's outrageous socks offend Gollie's sartorial eye, but the two compromise for friendship's sake. The second story sends Gollie on an imagined climb up the Andes, shutting Bink out of the house until she arrives at the door with a sandwich, which they share on top of the "mountain." In the final episode, Gollie is jealous of Bink's new pet fish until Bink reassures her that no one can take her place. All three stories, written with short sentences, abundant dialogue, and some contemporary expressions, offer delightful portrayals of two headstrong characters who, despite their differences and idiosyncratic quirks, know the importance of true friendship. The delightful digitalized cartoon illustrations—mostly black and white, with color used for the two characters and in strategic splashes throughout—reinforce the humor of the text. Filled with movement, they successfully portray the protagonists' changing moods. Elementary listeners and readers will have no trouble relating to the two friends' antics and the bond they share.—Nancy Menaldi-Scanlan, The Naples Players, FL
Three short stories star Bink, petite and excitable, and Gollie, lanky and unflappable. The pals agree about many things, but there's also some real friction (e.g., Gollie disapproves mightily of Bink's rainbow-colored socks). DiCamillo and McGhee successfully portray the bumps in the road that can come with friendship. Fucile's unfussy digital illustrations with lots of white space perfectly highlight this odd couple's particularities.
Bink and Gollie are a tremendously appealing pair, and their friendship is full of give and take. The somewhat stylized dialogue (“I must journey forth into the wider world . . .”), combined with childlike sentiments (“Putting on socks is hard work,” said Bink. “I’m hungry.”), make for a fun read-aloud. Tony Fucile’s background in animation is clear; every one of the girls’ poses suggests movement. His delightful illustrations contain ample white space and backgrounds that are mostly grey and minimalistic, while the girls and selected details pop with color.

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