Have you ever asked your little one where that imaginary friend came from? In The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend, author and illustrator Dan Santat offers an answer to this question. They're all relaxing together over in the land of rainbows and misty mountains, awaiting the glorious day when a child beams them up (see page 4 for more information). Beekle waits every day for his turn, but it never comes.
So, rather than waiting around doing nothing, Beekle decides to find his friend on his own. He ventures to the regular world (which is markedly grayer in color, I might add), where no one stops to hear the music and everyone needs a nap. Eventually, he finds his way to a playground, where the odds of finding his best friend become much more promising.
Imaginary friendships are just one component of imaginative play, which is vital for a child's cognitive and social development. It can help improve communication and problem solving, as well as enhance creativity and empathy. There are countless opportunities throughout the day to encourage imaginative play, and, don't worry, your child is already taking advantage of these opportunities (whether it means she's hopping around like a frog or he's pretending to be the children's librarian doing storytime). And, if real life gets too dull, books are there to provide oodles of imaginative moments.
Check out these other books for more imaginary friends: No Fits, Nilson by Zachariah OHora, Hooray for Amanda & her Alligator! by Mo Willems, and Dream Friends by You Byun.
La, la, la, la, la.
-Miss Ashley
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