My real friend by David Hunt
Illus. by Lucia Masciullo. ABC Books, 2019. ISBN: 9780733334894.
32pp., hbk.
Rupert is William's imaginary friend, a role he is quite happy to
have because they do so much together. Make music, paint pictures,
play games . . . it's all great fun except for two things. He
never gets to choose the game and be the hero, but worst of all,
that William will stop imagining him and he will fade away. And one
day, William breaks the news to him . . .
Told from Rupert's perspective, this is a charming book for early
readers who are familiar with imaginary friends. As Rupert contrasts
his life with William's, there is a lot of humour in his
observations and sometimes Rupert's life in the imagination seems
more fun. Poignant though his comments are, there is always the
expectation that this story will not end well for Rupert but
Masciullo's clever mixed-media illustrations soften the blow and his
appearance as the shadow on William's new friend's skateboard is
masterful, suggesting that William might not quite have let go yet.
Friendships, real and imaginary, wax and wane over time as
circumstances and situations change and this is a celebration of
that. Rupert is a vital part of William's childhood, as imaginary
friends are for many children, and the letting go as social circles
widen can be painful. It validates those imaginary friends of the
young readers and opens the doorway for discussions about the
difference between the two and the place they have in our lives. It
is a way of encouraging those still rooted in their immediate
concrete world to start viewing things from another perspective,
particularly through Rupert's weariness of always being the victim
or the loser!
Teacher notes
to guide the discussions are available.
Barbara Braxton