Pingo [Hardcover]

Brandon Mull (Author), Brandon Dorman (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

What happens when your imaginary friend becomes your imaginary enemy? New York Times bestselling author Brandon Mull and No.1 New York Times bestselling illustrator Brandon Dorman team up in this new children s picture book that explores the meaning of friendship and imagination. Like many kids his age, Chad has an imaginary friend. His friend was Pingo. The two would fight ninjas, brew magical potions, and float in zero gravity. Each day was a fun-filled adventure, until Chad decided he was too old to have an imaginary friend. But Pingo wasn't ready to leave Chad alone, and started tormenting him and causing all kinds of mischief. Can this once inseparable duo ever be friends again? Paired with charming illustrations, Pingo is a delightful read-out-loud picture book for children ages 3 and up.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 2—An imaginary friend becomes a spiteful foe when a child's attention wavers. At first Chad and his buddy Pingo fight against ninja armies and create magical potions, but the child eventually outgrows his rambunctious cohort when his classmates ridicule him for playing with an invisible friend. As Chad matures into adulthood, he becomes more interested in girls than in his confidant. Mischievous Pingo retaliates by leading pirate attacks in the middle of the night, filling Chad's backpack with a sticky maple syrup and peanut butter concoction, and eating his work reports. Years later, confined to a rest home, solitary Chad reunites with his rowdy companion, and the duo continues their rollicking adventures. Pingo's gremlinlike appearance enhances his elfish antics; his oversize ears, furry body, and long tail provide humor throughout. Colorful mixed-media spreads effectively use shadow and perspective to maintain the tale's energetic focus. The result is an interesting look into the everlasting world of the imagination.—Meg Smith, Cumberland County Public Library, Fayetteville, NC
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Review

Mull's (the Fablehaven series) mischievous story introduces a boy named Chad with a furry, goblinlike imaginary friend, Pingo, who sports polka-dotted boxers and a striped scarf. For a time, Pingo and Chad happily battle ninjas and concoct magical potions, but in adolescence Chad decides it's time to leave his pal behind, claiming, If I stop believing in you, you'll disappear! Not so. Undaunted, Pingo becomes Chad's imaginary enemy, leading nighttime pirate raids and filling his backpack with maple syrup and peanut butter while the teen flirts with a girl. As a lonely elderly man, Chad relents and tells a delighted Pingo that he wants to be friends again, leading to another round of adventures (the final illustration, which echoes the book's first, shows the duo playing in a tent fashioned from a blanket as a doctor pushes a wheelchair past Chad's room). The message about hanging onto the magic of childhood comes through clearly (indeed, Pingo even bears a strong resemblance to Chad), and Dorman's brassy, exaggerated cartoon art should have kids giggling over Pingo's antics. Ages 3 up. (Aug.) --Publishers Weekly, Aug. 2009

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Shadow Mountain (August 5, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1606411098
• ISBN-13: 978-1606411094
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 10.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #350,926 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Brandon Mull no longer lives on the side of a mountain above a prison. He now resides in a happy little valley near the mouth of a canyon with his wife and three children. Since the arrival of his new daughter, he is more the golem of the household than ever, following whatever orders trickle down the chain of command. Brandon is the author of the New York Times bestselling Fablehaven books and The Candy Shop War.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Stories for Children Magazine 5 Star Review, August 12, 2009

By 

Virginia S. Grenier "Children's Author & Stor... (Ivins, Utah USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Pingo (Hardcover)

Reviewed by: Wayne Walker

When you were younger, did you ever have an imaginary friend? Like many other kids his age, Chad has one named Pingo. They fight ninjas, brew magical potions, and float in zero gravity. But as Chad grows older, his "real" friends begin to tease him about having an imaginary friend, and one day Chad decides that he is too old for Pingo. From that day forward, Chad no longer has an imaginary friend. He has an imaginary enemy! What will Pingo do as Chad becomes a teenager, an adult, and finally an old man? And what will Chad do?

Brandon Mull is also the author of the New York Times bestselling Fablehaven series. Brandon Dorman is also the illustrator of the No. 1 New York Times bestseller The Wizard. Together, they have produced a touching story that children will think is great fun and adults will find a little bit nostalgic. I certainly agree with the observation on the inside jacket flap that "Pingo is a delightful read-a-loud picture book about the importance of imagination and friendship." Kids may laugh at the antics of Pingo and Chad, but at the end those of us who are a little older may have to wipe a slight tear out of our eyes. A great children's book!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars We Love Pingo!, July 31, 2009

By 

K. Callender (Connecticut. USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Pingo (Hardcover)

Pingo by Brandon Mull and illustrated by Brandon Dorman is sure to be the next best selling children's book. It is packed with creativity, imagination, and mischief. The book is geared toward children in grades K-3, but I think younger would enjoy having it read to them and it makes a great book for older children to share with siblings or school reading buddies.

Have you ever had an imaginary friend, or have you known someone who did? It still makes me smile to see a child chatting excitedly and running around an imaginary world with friends unseen to anyone else. In Pingo, Brandon Mull asks an interesting question. What happens when your imaginary friend becomes your imaginary enemy? Mull's creative humor, combined with Brandon Dorman's artistic talent, answer this question perfectly. This is the children's literacy equivalence to the classic imaginary friend gone bad movie, Drop Dead Fred.

Chad and Pingo are the best of friends. The exciting adventures they share are limitless. But when Chad thinks he is too old for an imaginary friend he finds the trouble Pingo can cause is just as limitless. This is a cute, laugh out loud story about the importance of friendship and imagination.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What a sweet story!, September 11, 2009

By 

Rach - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pingo (Hardcover)

I loved this book as an Adult, and my little girl loves it as well. I think it can be enjoyed by all ages. We are big fans of Brandon Mulls other work, but we hope he makes more picture books like this one. Another seller for me are the illustrations, they are fabulous. The pictures have so much detail and fun to them, it brings the story to life. Brandon Dorman is truly a gifted artist.