Bink & Gollie: Best Friends Forever

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. (School Library Journal)

Droll, and with spot-on emotions, this return of the dynamic, roller-skating pair will make fans cheer. (Booklist)