We Forgot Brock!

Starred review from May 18, 2015
With his skull-and-crossbones T-shirt, amplified musculature, scraggly hair, and ninja swords, Brock looks like he rode his chopper straight off the set of Sons of Anarchy. But he’s actually the best friend ever, and Phillip adores him. Brock is also imaginary—“Whatever that means,” says the sympathetic narrator. Then one day, Brock is separated from Phillip at the Big Fair; lost and lonely, he’s taken in by a girl and her imaginary friend, the resplendently girly Princess Sparkle Dust. Pretty soon, “the three of them began to invent games and tell each other stories.” Has Brock moved on for good? Goodrich (Mister Bud Wears the Cone) draws Brock and the Princess Sparkle Heart with the loving crayonlike work (black for Brock, purple for the princess) of a child artist; they’re flattened, cut-out figures in a dimensional, full-color world, but their emotional vividness is as clear as can be. What starts as a familiar story of pretend play and dramatic irony turns into something stranger and more beautiful—a Möbius strip of fantasy and reality, with happy endings all around. Ages 4–8.

June 15, 2015
Phillip and Brock are best friends. They spend all their time goofing around together. The only problem is his parents can see Phillip but not Brock. This tale of a boy and his imaginary friend is told in one or two sentences per page, along with watercolor illustrations that depict a cheery, 1950s-feeling home. Phillip's parents play along with their son's imaginary friend, Brock. One evening when the family returns from the fair, disaster strikes. In a two-page spread, despair consumes Phillip's face as he sobs, "WE FORGOT BROCK!" Back at the fair, however, Brock meets Anne, who introduces him to Princess Sparkle Dust and offers to take him home with them. Though Anne and Princess Sparkle Dust try to cheer him up, Brock misses Phillip. Eventually the pair is reunited, and when Brock introduces Phillip to his new friends, they all become best friends, though his parents can still see only the two children. Goodrich plays with perspective, sometimes including his imaginary characters, done in monochromatic lines as if by a child, in an illustration and sometimes not, for funny counterpoint. Though the illustrations are sweet, the story feels slight, and it adds little new or exciting to the imaginary-friend shelf. In addition, the stereotypical renderings of Brock as a sword-wielding, black-and-white pirate and Princess Sparkle Dust as a big-haired, purple princess are unfortunate. Forget Brock. (Picture book. 4-6)

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August 1, 2015

PreS-Gr 1-Enter swashbuckling, chopper-riding, pencil-mustache sporting imaginary friend Brock. Despite his parent's dubious looks and disbelief, Phillip finds Brock's jokes hilarious and generally enjoys spending "all their time goofing around together." That is, until one fateful trip to the fair when Brock and Phillip are separated after the former decides to ride the "Brain Shaker" and the latter falls asleep on his father's shoulder. Phillip wakes in a panic on the ride home, realizing they have forgotten Brock. Brock becomes frightened without Phillip, seeking the help of a little girl who can actually see him. Anne and her own imaginary friend, Princess Sparkledust, take pity on Brock and bring him home. Even though he enjoys his new friends, adventures aren't quite the same without Phillip. Luckily, Phillip is out looking for Brock and when the two are finally reunited, they have two new friends to show for their harrowing tale. Goodrich's illustrations perfectly portray the drama and humor of life with an imaginary friend. VERDICT This title will pair nicely with Dan Santat's The Adventures of Beekle (Little, Brown, 2014) in a themed storytime on imaginary friends.-Jenna Boles, Greene County Public Library, Beavercreek, OH

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from August 1, 2015
Preschool-G *Starred Review* Phillip and Brock are inseparable. Anytime Phillip's around, permanently clad in a red cape, cowboy boots, and an enthusiastic grin, Brock, a barrel-chested, chopper-riding, mustachioed tough guy in aviators, can't be far behind. Though his parents think Brock is only imaginary, Phillip knows better. That's why it's so devastating when they accidentally leave Brock behind at the carnival. Luckily for Brock, another pair of friends, Anne and Princess Sparkle-Dust, see forlorn Brock on the Ferris wheel and take him home. When Phillip and Brock are finally reunited, their merry band of pals doubles in size. While picture books about imaginary friends are nothing new, Goodrich's contribution is a visual standout and an object lesson in the humor of contrast. His wry, deadpan text appears next to lustrous, realistic watercolor paintings of exuberant Phillip and his blase parents, while gigantic, hammy Brock is rendered in childlike scribbly black crayon. With quiet gestures and small variations in facial expressions, Goodrich teases out a remarkable depth of feeling, particularly from Brock, who, upon meeting the majestic Princess Sparkle-Dust, appearing in similarly scribbly purple, looks positively sheepish. While this would make a perfect read-aloud, the illustrations are strong enough that even little ones not quite ready to read independently will get the gist of the story from the pictures alone. Hilarious and heartwarming in equal measure.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)