Bink and Gollie

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Title: Bink and Gollie
Author: Kate DiCamillo and Alison McGhee
Genre: Fiction- comedy and humor
Grade level(s) appropriateness: K-2
A brief synopsis/review: Bink and Gollie is divided into three chapters with stories about socks, going on a journey, and having a pet fish. Bink and Gollie are best of friends, but they may not always agree on everything. Bink and Gollie is a story about two girls who find that their friendship is what matters the most.   
Theme(s): Friendship/companionship and loyalty
Noteworthy features or issues with text: Bink and Gollie are in color, while the other images and background are in black and white.
Teaching ideas: Both Bink and Gollie are two different people with different interests. Students could use a Venn diagram to compare and contrast themselves and their best friend or Bink and Gollie.
Curriculum tie-ins and/or related activities: Bink is short and Gollie is tall. For math, students could  draw a life-size image of Bink and Gollie, measuring and recording each character's height on chart paper. Students could then line up in height order and mark where they are on the height chart in reference to Bink and Gollie.
Read aloud suitability: Yes, this book can easily be read aloud to your class.
Connections to other texts/content areas: Bink and Gollie: Two for One is the sequel to Bink and Gollie.
Other additional comments: The book is a 2011 winner of the Theodor Seuss Geisel Award.   

Check out the Bink and Gollie webpage, featuring author and character bios, fun games, and teacher guides: http://www.binkandgollie.com