Invisible Inkling

April 4, 2011
Hank Wolowitz isn't sure he can face fourth grade now that his best friend has moved away. But in Jenkins's (Toy Dance Party) thoughtfully grounded, gently kooky chapter book, Hank finds surprising new allies that help him deal with the pain of his loss and with a school bully. An ordinary day at Hank's family's Brooklyn ice cream shop becomes an unforgettable one when Hank reaches for a long-lost Lego propeller under the kitchen sink and discovers something soft, furryâand invisible. Turns out the creature is an invisible "bandapat" named Inkling from "the Peruvian Woods of Mystery." Or maybe Ukraine. When Hank saves Inkling from the neighbor's dog, the critter vows to repay the favor. Inkling's presence, along with his large appetite and hankering for squash, puts Hank in some humorous tight spots. Jenkins colors her mostly realistic tale with enough bits of mystery and silliness to hold readers' attention. Even those who don't know what to make of Inkling can appreciate that Hank's sentiments and actions always ring true. Final art not seen by PW. Ages 7â10.

May 15, 2012
Brooklyn fourth-grader Hank Wolowitz faces his worst Halloween ever when his invisible friend, Inkling, discovers that pumpkins are his favorite kind of food. It's hard enough to keep the bandapat in the laundry basket a secret from his parents, his sister, Nadia, his downstairs neighbor Chin and his classmates. Just keeping him fed takes all the pay from his job at the family ice-cream parlor, and he's had to invent a top-secret project to explain all the squash he's been buying. When Inkling goes bananas and chews up Nadia's artwork--four intricately carved pumpkins--Hank takes the blame for the violence. Worse, although his father had promised to use one of his ideas for their special Halloween ice-cream flavor this year, they are advertising his sister's stupid candy crunch. Finally, he has no one to go trick-or-treating with. Hank's first-person narration is appropriately self-pitying. But while his unseen pet can cause trouble, the bandapat also helps. Gentle humor and a realistic urban setting add interest to this solid middle-grade read. Unlike Hank, readers can actually see the bandapat in Bliss' gray-scale cartoons. (Final art not seen.) Events of the first book (Invisible Inkling, 2011) are summarized early on, and Jenkins introduces her characters and the situation so smoothly that readers can easily start here. Appealing any time of the year. (Fantasy. 7-10)

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October 1, 2012

Gr 2-4-Readers who got to know Hank Wolowitz in Invisible Inkling (HarperCollins, 2011) will be glad to have him back. He is a typical fourth grader living in a cozy Brooklyn neighborhood: his parents run the local ice-cream shop; his teenage sister, Nadia, is kind of a pain; and an invisible bandapat named Inkling lives in his laundry basket. Halloween is fast approaching, and Hank longs to invent this year's special ice-cream flavor. Unfortunately, bandapats love squash, and Inkling just can't help but eat Nadia's carefully carved masterpieces before she can enter them in the Dangerous Pumpkins contest at school. Taking the blame time and time again for Inkling's high jinks, Hank finds himself in trouble and lonely, having offended all of his friends and family members. It looks as if he won't even have the chance to go trick-or-treating this year. In the end, he makes up with his loved ones and finally invents an ice-cream flavor-all thanks to Inkling. Occasional pencil drawings add extra details and personality to the story. Strong family dynamics, a lovable cast of characters, and an invisible bandapat who doesn't quit will have readers of short chapter books looking forward to the next title in this series.-Amanda Struckmeyer, Middleton Public Library, Madison, WI

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