{"id":29585,"date":"2017-05-05T19:03:37","date_gmt":"2017-05-05T23:03:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/blog\/?p=29585"},"modified":"2017-05-05T19:03:37","modified_gmt":"2017-05-05T23:03:37","slug":"review-of-we-forgot-brock-by-carter-goodrich","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/blog\/?p=29585","title":{"rendered":"Review of We Forgot Brock, by Carter Goodrich"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>We Forgot Brock!<\/em><\/p>\n

by Carter Goodrich<\/p>\n

Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, New York, 2015. 44 pages.
\nStarred Review<\/p>\n

Okay, I\u2019ll say it. I\u2019m a little tired of the recent spate of books about imaginary friends. Usually, they simply don\u2019t win me over. There\u2019s pretty much always a logical inconsistency somewhere in the idea of the reality of these imaginary friends. Something that wouldn\u2019t quite work if carried to its logical conclusion.<\/p>\n

Maybe this one caught me on a good day, but I was charmed by We Forgot Brock!<\/em>.<\/p>\n

This is Phillip and Brock. They\u2019re best friends. They spend all their time goofing around together.<\/p>\n

The weird thing is, nobody else can see Brock. Everyone calls him \u201cPhillip\u2019s Imaginary Friend.\u201d Whatever that<\/em> means.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Carter Goodrich uses the same technique used in Bill Watterson\u2019s Calvin and Hobbes<\/em>. Most pictures show the world from the kid\u2019s perspective, but sometimes we see what the adults see \u2013 no Brock.<\/p>\n

Then the whole family goes to the Big Fair. They have a great time. Phillip falls asleep, but Brock wants to ride the Brain Shaker.<\/p>\n

When Phillip wakes up in the car, to his dismay, his parents have left Brock behind!<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, at the Big Fair, someone sees that Brock is upset. It\u2019s a little girl named Anne with her friend, Princess Sparkle Dust. They take Brock home with them, and fortunately, it\u2019s in the same neighborhood where Phillip lives.<\/p>\n

Brock has a great time with Anne and Princess Sparkle Dust. But when he sees the Lost poster Phillip put up for him, he remembers how much he misses Phillip. Fortunately, they find each other. <\/p>\n

Somehow, the adults are happier when Phillip and Brock play with Anne and Princess Sparkle Dust than they were when Phillip and Brock just played together. Fortunately, Phillip and Brock are happier, too.<\/p>\n

There are lots of lovely touches in the illustrations of this story. Brock and Princess Sparkle Dust both appear to be drawn by one crayon. Both children are clearly imaginative. Phillip always wears a cape and Anne wears wings.<\/p>\n

Maybe I was won over this time because the author didn\u2019t try to explain where imaginary friends come from (That\u2019s usually where the world-building breaks down for me). Maybe I was prepped for this book by loving Calvin and Hobbes.<\/em> But whatever the reason, We Forgot Brock!<\/em> stands out for me in the Imaginary Friends Genre. It takes imagination seriously and takes friendship seriously.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t forget to read this book!<\/p>\n

cartergoodrich.com<\/a>
\nKIDS.SimonandSchuster.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Buy from Amazon.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Find this review on Sonderbooks<\/a> at: www.sonderbooks.com\/Picture_Books\/we_forgot_brock.html<\/a><\/p>\n

Disclosure: I am an Amazon Affiliate, and will earn a small percentage if you order a book on Amazon after clicking through from my site.<\/p>\n

Source: This review is based on a library book from Fairfax County Public Library.<\/p>\n

Disclaimer: I am a professional librarian, but I maintain my website and blogs on my own time. The views expressed are solely my own, and in no way represent the official views of my employer or of any committee or group of which I am part.<\/p>\n

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