Best Friends Forever (Bink & Gollie #3)

Gr 1-3--Bink and Gollie dream of royalty, fame, and stature in three amusing tales. In "Empire of Enchantment," Gollie is certain that queenly blood flows through her veins when she finds a picture of a regal aunt. She drives Bink crazy with all her airs. She sweeps through the streets complimenting the townsfolk on "their efforts on behalf of the empire." When it starts to rain, Gollie's snooty demeanor falters, and she's back to her old self. In the second story, Bink decides to get a Stretch-O-Matic since she is sick of being short and is sure that this device will do the trick. She is suspended from the ceiling in the complicated contraption when flabbergasted Gollie walks in. The whole thing comes crashing down, but Bink comes up with a creative way to fix the machine and feel tall at the same time. In "Kudos, Bink and Gollie," the friends decide to become famous by appearing in Flicker's Arcana of the Extraordinary, a Guinness Book of World Records-type compilation. Figuring that some sort of collection will land them in the book, they head off to Eccles' Empire of Enchantment. They buy 100 packages of 66 gold stickers each that they are sure is their ticket to fame. The plan doesn't pan out, but the clever duo comes up with a face-saving solution. The first story would make a fun read-aloud, as it lends itself to using alternately haughty and exasperated voices. All three stories feature Fucile's expressive and attitude-filled line drawings. Another humorous selection for those just beginning to dip into chapter books.--Diane McCabe, John Muir Elementary, Santa Monica, CA

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

In their third chapter book, Bink and Gollie remain as thick as thieves and just as prone to squabbling. In the first of three stories, Gollie discovers a photograph of a royal distant relative and immediately embraces her newfound regal bloodline ("I have long suspected that royal blood flowed in my veins," she muses), donning a crown, cape, and holier-than-thou expression. She soon learns it can be lonely as queen: when Gollie "regret to inform" pancakes-obsessed Bink that "royalty does not cook for others," Bink replies, "Okay. I regret to inform you that I am going home." In the second tale, Bink's desire to be taller leads her to order a highly dubious "Stretch-o-Matic" machine that promises "dramatic change," and in the third, the girls hatch a scheme to become world-record holders. Readers may recognize some aspects of their own close friendships in Bink and Gollie's odd-couple relationship, but these two remain true originals. As in the previous books, the fresh, wry dialogue and Fucile's witty cartooning are as dynamic a pairing as Bink and Gollie themselves. Ages 6-8. Agent: Holly McGhee, Pippin Properties. (Apr.)

Copyright 2013 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

As in the previous books, the fresh, wry dialogue and Fucile's witty cartooning are as dynamic a pairing as Bink and Gollie themselves.
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Fans of Bink and Gollie will be pleased to welcome them back in three more humorous linked adventures that, as in their earlier appearances, play off their differences but ultimately affirm their mutual affection...Fucile's digital artwork extends both the humor and the broad appeal. With wide-eyed, smiling characters, crisp black outlines and exaggerated details, they're reminiscent of (really good) old-fashioned Saturday-morning cartoons.
—Kirkus Reviews

Just as in the first two series entries, the friends' wildly different sensibilities—and their interests, both shared and disparate—tumble out through personality-filled dialogue and digital illustrations of barely contained chaos.
—The Horn Book

DiCamillo andMcGhee once again cleverly merge early reader, graphic novel, and picture book into a delightful ode to an unlikely duo...Droll, and with spot-on emotions, this return of the dynamic, roller-skating pair will make fans cheer.
—Booklist

[T]he text (almost all dialogue) retains its comic joy as it veers between Gollie's formal drawl and Bink's ebullience. As usual, Fucile packs his lines with springy energy... The page design has the lively paneled momentum and theatrical views of a graphic novel, and it effectively partners with the few swift sentences per spread to move novice readers easily through the book.
—Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books