Bink and Gollie

May 21, 2012
If Bink and Gollie’s first adventure emphasized the simple pleasures of roller skating, novelty socks, and imaginary mountain-climbing expeditions, DiCamillo and McGhee’s sequel suggests that the world is a strange and unpredictable place, best faced with one’s closest friend at one’s side. This trio of stories is set at the state fair (where better to observe the odder side of life?), and while this mismatched duo’s friendship remains feisty and close-knit, an unsettling undercurrent runs through the tales. Bink tries her hand at the Whack-a-Duck game in the surprisingly violent first story, nailing the game’s operator in the face with a baseball three times (strike three mercifully occurs off-screen, but Bink’s first two efforts are drawn in graphic detail). In the following stories, Gollie competes (unsuccessfully) in a talent competition, and the girls visit a fortune-teller. The book’s best moment occurs after Madame Prunely reveals that the girls will be together in the future. “That’s all the future I need to know,” shouts Bink, charging out of the tent. Here’s hoping that future is brighter. Ages 6–8. Agent: Holly McGhee, Pippin Properties.

Starred review from April 29, 2013
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.