MaiStoryBook Library

MaiStoryBook Library: The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend + My Unimaginary Friend Beekle Craft & Make Your Own Friend Craft

by MaiStoryBook

Introducing the beautifully illustrated, heart warming children’s book featured in this week’s MaiStoryBook Library Collection:

“The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend” by Dan Santat

*~Click here to purchase your own copy of *The Adventures of Beekle* to start on your own reading adventure! (This is an affiliate link~ 5% of your purchase will go to MaiStoryBook to help create Reading Resources for your littles)~*

Book Synopsis and Review

On a magical island far way, an imaginary friend waits to be imagined by his special friend. However, once left behind after watching all of his friends get imagined, he decides to do the unimaginable, and sail off the island to the real world in search of his special friend. He explores the bustling city, traverses across playgrounds, and climbs the tallest of trees before finally finding his special friend and receiving his special name: Beekle. Through a series of animated illustrations, we watch the creation of the bond of friendship, and discover how with a friend by your side, you have the courage and strength to do the impossible~

This is the deserving book of the Caldecott Medal Award 2015,  a medal awarded annualy to the illustrator of the best illustrated childrens picture book of the year. Writer and illustrator Dan Santat creates amazing illustrations, filling his book with pages of imaginative and beautiful pictures for your child to  explore and talk about. Throughout the pictures he weaves a beautiful story about friendship, imagination, and the courage to find your own place in the world. Beekle is a sweet, plumpy character, sure to win over the hearts of any child *and adult*, and the illustrations of the magical realm and abundance of imaginary friends will spark the imaginations of readers and perhaps unite *or reunite* them with their very own imaginary friend.

Vocabulary List

  • Eagerly (p.2) – When you are very excited and really want somtheing
  • Unimaginable (p.10) – Doing something that most people usually don’t do because they think it’s impossible
  • Courage (p.12) – bravery to do something that scares you
  • Familiar (p.17) – something you know about and have seen before
  • Realized (p.32)– when you understand something

Themes/Main Ideas

  • Friendship: Friends give you the courage to do the unimaginable
  • Imagination: The power of imagination can turn the impossible into possible

YouTube Video: Guided Shared-Reading Read Aloud Example

Example of a shared-reading Read Aloud of “The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend”: how to subtly introduce the vocabulary list words within the text, ask guided questions, and spark conversation!

Subscribe: MaiStoryBook Channel for additional read aloud videos!

My Unimaginary Friend Craft + Make Your Own Imaginary Friend Craft

After reading this story, my imagination couldn’t help but to wander and explore the possibilities of who my own imaginary friend. What would they look like? What color would they be? What are all the things we could do together? I was ready to create my very own imaginary friend! These are both delightful crafts to encourage your child to dream up their own friend, and explore the unimaginable! Look forward to crafts full of creativity, imagination, and a glimpse into a magical world!

My Unimaginary Friend Craft

Materials

Directions

COVER TEMPLATE

  • Choose Your Cover Template: Black & White or Color Templates
  • B&W has 2 Different Text Color Options: Black Bold Text, or White Text to color in
  • 3 Different Heading Options: *My Unimaginary Friend*, *______’s Unimaginary Friend*, *________, My Unimaginary Friend*
  • Color if you chose B&W.
  • “_______’s Unimaginary Friend” : Fill in the blank with your name.
  • ”_______, My Unimaginary Friend” : Fill in the blank with the Unimaginary Friend’s Name
  • Color.
  • Cut out the Cover Template. Cut across the dotted line so you have two halves/ Two Cover Flaps

BODY RESPONSE TEMPLATE

  • Choose a Body Response Template. There are 4 Differentiated options and one blank
  • At the top of each Template: Write your Unimaginary Friend’s Name in the top Blank. Ex) “This is me an my Unimaginary Friend __Beekle__”
  • Draw a Picture of you and your Unimaginary Friend in the First Picture Space.
  • Fill in the rest of the prompts with words or drawings: What funny jokes you tell, what snacks you enjoy and adventures you go on.
  • Cut out the Body Response Template.

.TO CONNECT:

  • To attach the Cover Template to the Body Response Template, glue the two halves of the cover template to the Body Template to the Arms:
  • Put glue on the two gray-areas on the arms of the Body Response Template where it says glue
  • Align the Cover Template with the Body Response Template underneath, and Glue the Cover Template Flaps onto the Body by attaching the arms.
  • The Cover Template Flaps should Close to cover your written/drawing responses and to look like a complete *Beekle*
  • Flip open the flaps down the middle to reveal your response beneath.

Enjoy Your Unimaginary Friend Craft:

  • Share your craft with friends and family share your own creativity and unimaginary friend.
  • Share your craft and ask friends and family about their unimaginary friends
  • Display your crafts to celebrate friendship and imagination

Make Your Own Imaginary Friend Craft

Materials

  • White paper
  • Colored construction paper
  • Cotton Balls
  • Puff balls- colored variety
  • Pipe cleaners- variety (Michaels has a nice variety pack including pipe cleaners, puff balls, and googly eyes!)
  • Googly eyes
  • Colored markers
  • Scissors
  • Glue + glitter glue or puffy paint
  • Imagination *

Directions

  • Trace and cutout 2* Beekle shapes on the white paper
    • *1 for making a Beekle, the other for making your own imaginary friend
For Beekle
  • Trace and cutout a crown from the yellow paper. Glue it to the top of the head.
  • With a marker, draw 2 black circles for the eyes and the smiling mouth
  • Help your child *sparingly* cover the white area with squiggles of glue
  • Pull apart and stick on white cotton balls
  • Enjoy your Beekle!

For Your Own Imaginary Friend

  • For this one, give your child free range of the supplies and see what they come up with!
  • Here are some tips/suggestions:
    • Use markers to color the body BEFORE gluing so the markers don’t get mixed with the glue and dry out
    • For crazy hair or antennas, poke holes at the top of the head to attach rainbow pipe cleaners. Curl or bend the pipe cleaners to the desired shape
    • Use Googly eyes, adding as many eyes as they want~in any place they want!
    • Use the puffy paint or glitter glue to paint on the mouth or add swirls and shapes to the body
    • Use colored puff balls for the body
    • Find any other materials, ribbons, or goodies from nature *leaves, flower petals* to add to the imaginary friend

Enjoy Your Imaginary Friends!

  • Take your imaginary friend to play with you throughout the day.
  • Re-read the story with your own imaginary friend.
  • Take them outside and *discover* the magical island your friend was born!

*~Overall, Have FUN watching your child imagine the unimaginable. Please comment below  – tag me on Instagram @MaiStoryBookLibrary  – or post on FaceBook to share your photos of your imaginary friend creations ! I’d love to hear from you!~*

*Check Back on Next Friday for our New Reading Adventure*

*~Until next time, Happy Reading~*