200. Bink & Gollie by Kate DiCamillo

Bink & Gollie by Kate DiCamillo and Alison McGhee. illustrated by Tony Fucile (Canada) - (USA)


Pages: 81 pages
Ages: 7+
Finished: Sept. 23, 2010
First Published: Sept. 14, 2010
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Genre: Children's, Early Reader, Picture Book
Rating: 5/5

First sentence:

"Hello, Gollie," said Bink.

Acquired: Received a review copy from the publisher.

Reason for Reading: I'm a fan of Kate DiCamillo.

An adorable book suitable for children who are reading on their own but still want pictures and may find a page full of text daunting. While not to be confused as an easy reader (for ex. "Perhaps a compromise is in order. "), this beginning 3 chapters book could easily be called a picture book as well. Each page is fabulously illustrated and contains small blocks of text which will appeal to children of a wide age range.

This book contains three episodes in the life of Bink & Gollie, roller skating "marvelous companions" who live in separate tree houses of the same tree. Bink & Gollie each have their own distinct, unique personality and that is what makes this book so much fun. The dynamics between the two, the repartee, the differences in personality and the obvious closeness as friends make these girls two very special characters in the literary world. Mr. Fucile's illustrations capture the essence of Bink & Gollie and it is the combination of writing and illustrating that makes this duo so captivating. I was taken with them right away.

The first story introduces a pair of "outrageous" socks, the second an expedition to the Andes mountains and the third the purchase of a goldfish. While each is an individual story, the theme (and importance) of the socks is carried through the book unobtrusively in the illustrations. Now that the Mercy Watson series is finished I think that fans will be very happy to turn their attentions to Bink & Gollie, the first in what I've heard (no evidence yet) will prove to be a series.