Dory Fantasmagory--The Real True Friend

Starred review from June 15, 2015
In a sequel every bit as delightful as its predecessor, Hanlon follows the wildly imaginative star of Dory Fantasmagory to school, where Dory attempts to make a “real” friend (as opposed to the monsters she plays with at home). She is immediately drawn to a princess-loving girl named Rosabelle, but Dory’s overtures of friendship don’t initially hit their mark: “ ‘Do you want some floppy cookies?’ I whisper to her, which is my nickname for salami because I love it so much. She does not.” Once again, Hanlon’s hilarious narration and cartooning reveal an uncanny talent for getting into the mile-a-minute mind of a one-of-a-kind girl. Ages 6–8. Agent: Ann Tobias, A Literary Agency for Children’s Books.

Suzy Jackson's narration turns on a dime. At one moment she voices all the angst imaginable as young Dory faces the start of school on the following day and then all her delight as she fawns over the teacher, the coat closet, and Rosabelle, a girl sitting at her table. Dory is a child whose vivid imagination is populated by imaginary friends. As much as her mother, brother, and sister admonish her NOT to take them to school, Jackson's narration is at its richest when Dory has done just that--and involves Rosabelle and her imaginary friends to boot. Jackson's Rosabelle speaks dreamily--princess that she is--and Dory chatters energetically. Should the book be on hand, listeners will delight in the illustrations. A.R. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine