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Searching... Park Grove Library (Cottage Grove) | J FICTION JEN | Searching... Unknown |
Searching... Stillwater Public Library | J FICTION JEN | Searching... Unknown |
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Summary
Summary
From award-winning author Emily Jenkins and New York Times bestselling illustrator Harry Bliss comes the first book in a sweet, quirky chapter book series about a boy and his invisible friend, Inkling. Perfect for fans of Clementine and Ivy and Bean. This series is a great choice for emerging readers who are ready for chapter books.
The thing about Hank's new friend Inkling is, he's invisible.No, not imaginary. Inkling is an invisible bandapat, a creature native to the Peruvian Woods of Mystery. (Or maybe it is the Ukrainian glaciers. Inkling hardly ever gets his stories straight.)
Now Inkling has found his way into Hank's apartment on his quest for squash, a bandapat favorite. But Hank has bigger problems than helping Inkling fend off maniac doggies and searching for pumpkins: Bruno Gillicut is a lunch-stealing, dirtbug caveperson and he's got to be stopped. And who better to help stand up to a bully than an invisible friend?
Reviews (5)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 2-4-Hank is about to start school without his best friend, who has moved from Brooklyn to Iowa. While reaching for a lost Lego piece under a sink in his parents' ice-cream store, the fourth grader discovers something furry, warm, and invisible. The creature introduces himself as Inkling, an invisible bandapat native to the Peruvian Woods of Mystery. The only one of his kind left, he has come in search of squash, the food he needs to survive, having noticed a newspaper ad for Hank's family's shop, the Big Round Pumpkin. Inkling often tells lies, so Hank is not sure what to believe. Feeling uneasy about facing school without his buddy, he invites Inkling along, and the bandapat helps him to deal with a bully who steals the best parts of his lunch. Bliss's humorous cartoon illustrations help move the story along. Young chapter-book readers will relate to Hank's predicament, enjoy his wild imagination, and wonder whether Inkling is real until the very end.-Kris Hickey, Columbus Metropolitan Library, OH (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
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, furry-and 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 7-10. (May) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Horn Book Review
It's not often that a fourth grader has an invisible friend, but Hank Wolowitz does: a very special invisible bandapat named Inkling. When Hank saves Inkling from the neighborhood bulldog, he discovers that his overactive imagination has nothing on Inkling's real story. First, not only are bandapats invisible, they are nearly extinct, and they love squash. In desperate need of his favorite food, Inkling has selected Brooklyn because of the Wolowitz family business -- Big Round Pumpkin. Unfortunately for famished Inkling, Big Round Pumpkin is actually an ice cream shop. Before he can leave, he must pay his debt to Hank for saving his life. But Inkling's attempts to help Hank with school bully Gillicut go wrong -- and, finally, spectacularly wrong. Children who have had an imaginary friend -- or have glimpsed something in their peripheral vision -- will find this cranky bandapat tale (enhanced with Harry Bliss's droll illustrations) hilarious and heartwarming. This would be a perfect choice for an early school year read-aloud: straightforward, zippy plot, likable characters, and believable family, with just the right attention to Hank's adjustment to life after his best friend has moved away. And its last line is exactly what second and third graders love to read: "Anything could happen next." robin l. smith (c) Copyright 2011. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
not imaginary). (Fantasy. 7-10)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
With a mix of wild humor, fantasy, and sadness, this series starter offers a moving story about defeating bullies. When his best friend moves away, Hank dreads fourth grade alone in his Brooklyn school, and he is thrilled to discover a small, invisible creature, Inkling, who helps him face the lunchroom jungle. Inkling isn't imaginary. Hank can feel its fur and, even better, the two can talk, and together they stand up to the school bully. Told in Hank's present-tense voice, the story will grab readers with its comedyand captivating sidekick. A subplot about scientists who want to investigate Inkling's invisibility adds tension, but what will pull readers most is the everyday realism. Adults are no help in dealing with the bully, who backs off. Was it because Inkling bites him or because Hank delivers a devastating insult? Starting with the cover image of a creature snuggling in Hank's backpack, the spot art extends the story's immediacy and humor. Readers will recognize Hank's conflicting feelings about the desire to win and what it can make you do.--Rochman, Haze. Copyright 2010 Booklist