Bink and Gollie

My rating is 3.5 stars.

The delightfully fun drawings of Tony Fucile are, IMHO, worthy of top billing in this short collection of three stories by popular children's authors Kate DiCamillo ([[ASIN:B002NC733K The Tale of Despereaux]] and [[ASIN:0763644323 Because of Winn-Dixie]]) and Alison McGhee ([[ASIN:1416928111 Someday]]). I loved the black & white illustrations and the punches of color that drew the eye.

To my surprise, while I thought the writing was fine (though not stellar), I was less than enamored with the stories & the character of Gollie. The lovable Bink completely won me over, but Gollie? Not so much.

Here's why:

Story 1: Bink & Gollie go into a store where Bink buys some brightly striped socks. She loves them. Gollie does not. Later the girls "compromise" and Bink wears only one of the socks.
My thoughts: Why the heck does Bink have to stop wearing something she loves in order to ensure Gollie's friendship?
Story 2: Gollie is in her bedroom imagining a mountaineering trip and Bink is having some difficulty understanding the "Keep Out" signs on Gollie's door.
My thoughts: Wanting some time alone is understandable and I don't have any problem with it. But why was it only when Bink showed up with food that Gollie relented and let her in? Was she hungry?
Story 3: Bink buys a fish and is thrilled to death with it even though Gollie tells her it's a lousy pet. When the girls are roller skating together - along with the fish, who is in his bowl - Gollie quickly saves the fish when the bowl breaks.
My thoughts: Just how far were the girls from a house where they could have gotten a cup of water to put the fish in while they took it back home? Instead, Gollie "saves" the fish by putting it into a pond where, coincidentally, it will no longer compete with her for Bink's time. (Not to mention that, even though we see the fish beneath the ice in a drawing with the girls ice skating, in reality it probably would have died.)

Thinking I must be missing something, I gave it a second read when I was back at the bookstore a couple of days later. But my reaction was the same. Maybe I'm just being weird about these stories, interpreting them poorly or seeing things that simply aren't there. But I know the book isn't going into my collection. In addition, if I were Bink's mom, I think I'd tell her that she could do better in the best friend department.

So - 5 stars for Fucile's great artwork and for the adorable Bink (who I would love to see much more of); 2 stars for Gollie as portrayed in these pages. That averages out to 3.5 stars. I rounded up to 4 stars because of my admiration for many of DiCamillo's other stories and because my annoyance over the whole sock incident (seems minor, I know, but it just bugged me) may have colored my interpretation of Gollie's actions in the other two stories.

I purchased this book after reading glowing reviews in the Wall St. Journal. After reading the book I can not see how it received these rave reviews. The stories are mundane and left me waiting for more. The artwork was also blah. Would anyone like to purchase my copy.

I would not recommend purchasing this book especially since there are so many higher quality, well written books out there. My next review will be to the reviewer of teh Wall St. Journal.

Thanks

I eye Bink and Gollie across the room with a slow reptilian stare. I yell at it, "I refuse to be charmed by you!" I throw a shoe. Bink and Gollie, to its credit, does not allow itself to be sucked into my childish behavior. I edge a little closer. I cry, "I know your pictures are amazing and your writing manages to be loquacious without being precious but I am not fooled!" I throw my other shoe, which unfortunately means that I am now out of shoes. Bink and Gollie is now looking at me with a mixture of amusement and pity. I fall to my knees and crawl forward. When I'm close enough I whisper, "I lied. You're amazing. You're everything a person would want in a children's book. You're the best thing I've ever seen." I succumb. Bink and Gollie strokes my hair as I cry uncontrollably, but it knows I am telling the truth. It really is the best thing ever. And what's more, it's a book like nothing else you've ever seen. Nothing. Ever. Seen. Trust me on this one. I see a lot of books.

Put together two Minnesotans and one animator and what do you get? Bink and Gollie, of course. Bink is a diminutive pixie, all wild blond hair and a penchant for falling madly in love with things. Gollie, in contrast, is a staid and measured companion, unwilling to be pulled into Bink's obsessions if she can possibly help it. The two are best friends and in this book we are treated to three of their adventures. In the first, Bink falls head over heels for a pair of brightly colored socks that irk Gollie to the extreme. A compromise must be reached. In the second tale Gollie is determined to scale the heights of the Andes Mountains in her living room but finds it difficult to do so when Bink keeps knocking on her front door. In the third, Bink becomes enamored of a goldfish. Gollie cannot see its appeal, but when a terrible accident occurs she's the one who knows exactly what to do. If you seek marvelous companions, look no further than the tales you'll find here.

The great pairings of children's literature involve friends with differences. [[ASIN:0060224657 Danny]] and his dinosaur. [[ASIN:0763624047 Houndsley and Catina]]. [[ASIN:1423106865 Elephant and Piggie]]. [[ASIN:0618891951 George and Martha]]. But the greatest of all these and the standard bearers if you will, are undoubtedly [[ASIN:0064440206 Frog and Toad]]. There's something about their particular combination of exasperation and affection that rings true. Until now, I've seen few few very few characters that tap into that same feeling, and it is interesting to me that Bink & Gollie would be one of the most successful. On the surface, there are some distinct differences from Lobel's classic work. While he never included a word more difficult to read than "button" in his books, DiCamillo and McGhee revel in delicious words like "bonanza", "outrageous", "implore", "ventured", and "marvelous", but to name a few. That said, it's all about tone. The back and forth between Bink and Gollie rings so true that you are given the immediate impression that not only are these two girls real people but that they have been friends for years and know one another well. You get that feeling from Frog and Toad too, you know. With a minimum of words, you're convinced of their world from page one onward. No mean feat.

As for the girls themselves, I don't think I've ever really seen characters like this before. Bink is short, blond, and sports a permanently pleated skirt. It takes noticing that skirt to realize that Bink is a girl at all, sometimes. She sports a [[ASIN:184365153X Struwwelpeter]]-worthy head of hair that could easily be ascribed to either gender. Gollie, in contrast, appears to be older. She's tall, thin, oft seen wearing knee-length pants with black tights underneath (explaining, in some ways, her visceral objection to Bink's colorful footwear). If there is an age difference between them, Gollie is too good natured to let it get in the way of their friendship. True, she often tries to impose her opinions on Bink (your socks are too bright, your fish is not marvelous, etc.) but this usually meets with the brick wall of Bink's obsessions. Bink loves Gollie, but is perfectly aware that Gollie's opinion is not the be all and end all of creation itself.

Maybe what I love most about them is that these girls are allowed to do things that traditionally boys do in children's literature. Gollie is inclined to pretend that she is explorer scaling the icy heights of the Andes Mountains. Both love roller skating and ice skating for fun. They're active gals. And sure, they engage in traditional girly things like cooking and gardening, but I like that they're given options outside of the usual let's-play-princess mindset. If Bink wears shoes, she wears sneakers. There's something to be said for that.

The universe Bink and Gollie occupy could only exist in children's literature. Not since the days of [[ASIN:0525457232 Winnie-the-Pooh]] have characters lived in such individual and striking homes. Bink and Gollie partake of that childhood fantasy of a world without adults. At the foot of a large tree is Bink's home, all cozy and warm and tended. More cottage than house, really. On the top of the tree is Gollie's ultra-mod swinging pad, outfitted inside with sleek furniture and nonrepresentational art. And don't think to yourself that these tales take place while the grown-ups are away, either. You'll notice in the scene where Bink is digging carrots out of her garden that everything about her house is Bink-sized. Everything from the height of the windows to the size of the garbage can is made for Bink Bink Bink. You never really question this world either. Heck, I had to read the book four or five times before I even noticed it at all. Somehow, it makes perfect sense in context. An parent's presence would ruin the entire effect.

Like a whole host of new illustrators these days, we owe the existence of the illustrator, one Mr. Fucile, to his work on films as an animator. His first title for kids was the rather nice [[ASIN:0763634409 Let's Do Nothing!]] which was a picture book about two boys attempting the impossible. It was a fine debut, but I little suspected the man capable of the visual splendor that is Bink and Gollie. Because, you see, while madams DiCamillo and McGhee give these girls their very particular, very distinctive voices, it is Mr. Fucile who makes you fall in love with them. Our very first view of Bink, aside from the cover and chapter page, is of her sitting in a chair cross-legged, cordless phone in one hand, spoonful of peanut butter in the other, jar nestled nicely between her sneaker-footed legs. Gollie, in contrast, is seen all akimbo legs, phone gripped in one hand, and a second holding a book, clawlike above her head. By the time you read the lines, "Greetings, Bink... I long for speed," it's done. You're charmed.

It is clear from here on in that you are nestled squarely in the palm of Mr. Fucile's hand. He knows when to make Bink just a nose above a desk, asking for information. Or how exactly to show Gollie spilling pancake batter all over her griddle. And the emotional beats resonate. When Bink accuses Gollie of being jealous of her fish, Fred, you see Gollie suddenly vulnerable. Her hands held before her, her eyes staring off into space. Her right eyebrow hints at the truth behind Bink's statement, and certainly the reader is left with little doubt. It's amazing. With just the tiniest strokes of his pen, Fucile turns a potentially tragic scene into a heroic one and then immediately into one of great poignancy. Fair play to the man.

Note too the use of color! Much of this book is left in black and white, but Fucile knows precisely when these layouts would best be served by a dash of hue here and there. Though the seasons change between each chapter, somehow you never feel that the colorless summer is the same as the colorless fall. It's all in the shading. Some folks I know have also mistaken this book for a graphic novel, and I think I know why this is. It's not because there are any speech balloons to be seen, but rather because Fucile is adept at breaking up his space. One moment you're looking at a two-page spread of a darkened theater watching a film and the next the action has been split into three long panels showing exactly how Bink trips and falls over a rock in the road. We're not used to our children's books working the layouts like this. Clearly Fucile's past experience with storyboards is coming in handy these days.

One is left wondering to what extent Mr. Fucile came up with the book's details and to what extent he created them out of his own brain. Was he told to give the Eccles' Empire of Enchantment that particular air of treasure hunting mixed with a tinge of despair? Was he told that Bink was a creature of peanut butter and to add that element in when appropriate while Gollie belonged squarely on the pancake side of things? Was he instructed that rather than cell phones, Bink and Gollie use white cordless landlines? Was he asked to make Bink's scarf at the end of the book the second bright sock purchased at the beginning of the book? And on top of all that he includes little things you might not notice except on a fourth or fifth read. When Gollie decides to give Bink half her pancakes, notice that she gave Bink the much taller stack. And when a besotted Bink agrees to hang out with Gollie, she is holding her phone out so that Fred the fish can hear the news as well.

Now comes the difficult part for the children's librarian that reads this book. Mainly, where the heckedy heck do you put it in your children's room? It has three distinct chapters and comes in at 6 3/8" X 9 1/2". A picture book, it is not. However, as I mentioned before, it has outsized words in its sentences and comes in at a whopping 96 pages. Easy reader it is not. That said, there are very big pictures in this book, and hardly more than a couple sentences per page. So chapter book it is not. So where do you put it? My suggestion is that you create a Bink and Gollie section in your library. Clear a whole shelf off in your room and display your copies of this book proudly. And then, in the future, when there are many many more Bink and Gollie adventures to be added (as there had better be or you will hear me shrieking loudly in the streets outside of the Candlewick publishing offices) you can just buy enough copies to fill the shelf up. Slap your hands together, problem solved.

I keep very few of the books that I'm sent by publishers for review. In 2010 alone I think I've kept only the books signed to me alongside, [[ASIN:0810984237 Meanwhile]], and [[ASIN:1596434023 A Sick Day for Amos McGee]]. I can now add Bink and Gollie to that list. I don't know where in the library you'd ever put it but put it in your library, both public and personal, you must. There's something about this book that utterly defies any and all expectations. You'd have to have a heart of stone not to be hypnotized by the sheer charm of these stories. All we can do now is own it, give it to all the small children we know, and clamor to the creators like little Oliver Twist parrots. Please m'ams and sirs . . . we'd like some more!

Reading BINK & GOLLIE made me smile. When I sat down to read it I didn't know what to expect. The book is a graphic novel and easy chapter book rolled into one and yet so much more. Bink & Gollie show that with compromise true friendship survives. I loved the b & w illustrations with splashes of color and the humorous text filled with luscious vocabulary. Children will want to use their gray matter for adventures of their

From the first page, when I saw the amazing treehouse that the girls live in, I wanted to move right in. Check out that fabulous deck! With a telescope!

Two best friends, each very different, star in this collection of expertly written stories. Sparing use of color lends emphasis and draws the eye throughout the highly illustrated text. Tall, well-groomed Gollie plays a sort of Felix Unger to Bink's exuberant, irrepressible Oscar as they make their way around town. Much like Nate the Great, Gollie seems to have a craving for pancakes, while Bink's stout frame could be attributed to the numerous peanut butter sandwiches she always seems to be fixing for herself. Three little mini-adventures are included in the book. The two girls go roller-skating and end up shopping at a sock bonanza, Gollie goes adventuring in the Andes (sort of) and Bink purchases a goldfish to be her marvelous companion. When Bink makes the ill-advised move of taking her goldfish Fred out roller-skating, disaster ensues. Although Gollie has never been fond of Fred, she leaps into action, saving the day by relocating Fred to a nearby pond.

I must admit, I did feel a little pang of worry about that frozen fish in the pond on the final page. Bink and Gollie seem pleased though - they're confidently skating along, smiling, perhaps secure in the knowledge that the fish will thaw out in the spring? I think a lot of really great children's literature does that though... leaves you wondering and worrying about some small detail.

Bink and Gollie is a little tough to categorize. I nearly want to put in alongside beginning reader books like James Marshall's George and Martha, or Lobel's Frog and Toad, but the difficulty of some of the vocabulary would seem to preclude that. The small trim size has me leaning against saying this is a picture book, although, if it had been in a larger format, I might not have thought twice about putting it there. What decides me? Is this a book best enjoyed read-aloud or read to oneself? Ultimately, I have to say, despite the brevity of the text, and generousness of the illustrations, this appears to be a light, refreshing sorbet of an early chapter book.

My two kids (and me) are huge Kate DiCamillo fans. For my daughter (10) it all began with The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane and for my son (7) the Mercy Watson series. Bink and Gollie is just plain fun! Quirky and original which is what my kids are drawn to. My daughter is also a fan of co-author Alison McGhee and her Julia Jillian series so naturally we were excited about theit collaboration. This adorable short chapter book about two friends subtlely conveys the beauty of relationships and self-discovery that these two authors are so great at. Simple and sweet.

I picked this book up from the local library for my nephew. I loved it and so did my nephew. The pictures, the personalities of the two characters and their language, make both you and your child smile. And you think to yourself I need to look for more Bink and Gollie books. I didn't find them at the library. And now that I am searching here on Amazon, it seems there are no more. I wish there were!

Oh and I forgot to mention, next time I visited my nephew, he said "Greetings Boo E" ("Greetings" is how Bink and Gollie greet each other. Boo E is just what my nephew calls me.).

I thought about waiting for it to come out in paperback, but I am so glad I didn't! My niece, who is a strong first grade reader can't put this book down. It is charming, interesting and the illustrations are really quirky and fun. It's a winner.

This is probably my all-time favorite children's book. It is hard to describe the genre since it has colorful pictures, yet is put into chapters. The characters are polar opposites and their comical antics can be enjoyed by readers of all ages. Great gift for young and even tween readers. Also a nice teacher gift. Great for teaching vocabulary without being "in your face."

What a delightful story about friendship and compromise. It will make you smile, laugh and give you an excuse to talk to your child about such profound topics as friendship and the art of compromise. The illustrations are very appealing, so is the book's cream paper. Oh, and it smells great too :)