The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend facts for kids
1st edition cover
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| Author | Dan Santat |
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| Publisher | Little, Brown and Company |
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Publication date
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April 8, 2014 |
| Pages | 40 |
| Awards | Caldecott Medal |
| ISBN | 978-0316199988 |
| OCLC | 1023214260 |
The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend is a popular picture book written and illustrated by Dan Santat. It was published in 2014. This book won the famous 2015 Caldecott Medal, which is a big award for children's books in the United States. The story is about an imaginary friend who goes on a journey to find the child who will imagine him.
Contents
What is The Adventures of Beekle About?
The story follows a special imaginary friend named Beekle. He lives on an island where all imaginary friends wait to be chosen by a child. Beekle gets tired of waiting. He decides to leave the island and search for his child himself.
Beekle's Journey to Find a Friend
Beekle explores the real world. It is a big and sometimes scary place for him. After a long day, he feels sad and climbs a tree. There, he finally meets a girl named Alice. They become friends right away. The entire story is told from Beekle's point of view. This helps readers understand his feelings.
How Did Dan Santat Create Beekle?
Dan Santat wrote The Adventures of Beekle as a special gift for his own son. His son also inspired the main idea for the story. Santat felt that the book was like a metaphor for becoming a father. He described the feeling of waiting to meet his son. He knew he would love him unconditionally, even before they met.
The Meaning Behind Beekle's Name
Santat explained that the moment he held his son for the first time, his "imaginary friend" became real. That's when Beekle got his name. The name "Beekle" actually came from his son's first word. His son was trying to say "bicycle." Santat wanted to tell a story about imaginary friends from a new angle. He wanted to show it from the imaginary friend's side.
How the Story Changed
The story of Beekle changed a lot during the writing process. At first, it was about the creative process itself. Beekle was even drawn differently. Over time, the focus shifted. It became more about the theme of friendship. Santat and his editor decided to focus on the worries of making your very first friend. They felt this was a better message for younger readers.
The Art and Style of Beekle
Dan Santat created all the artwork for The Adventures of Beekle. Reviewers have praised his use of colors and shades of gray. These choices help readers feel Beekle's emotions. The book is designed to look like Alice, the girl Beekle befriends, wrote it.
Digital and Traditional Art Techniques
Santat used a mix of digital and traditional art methods for the book. He said about 80% of the artwork was done digitally. The other 20% used traditional art tools. The illustrations often show tiny Beekle alone. He is sometimes surrounded by much larger figures. This helps to show how lonely he feels before he finds Alice.
Comparing Beekle's Art Style
The art style in The Adventures of Beekle was different from Santat's earlier works. He was known for more action-packed illustrations before this book. Many people compared the book's artwork to the classic children's book Where the Wild Things Are.
