About the Holiday
No, I didn’t forget what holiday it is today—the day is I Forgot Day! Today is the day to make up for all those missed opportunities and make amends for forgetting special events. Of course it may also be the perfect day to trot out that most-used excuse for not doing something—and get away with it! One thing you should not forget is to read today’s book!
We Forgot Brock!
By Carter Goodrich
Phillip and Brock are best friends. They have a wonderful time goofing around together, but other people just can’t understand. They call Brock Phillip’s “imaginary friend.” As if!… For example, at dinner when Phillip says Brock wants seconds, Phillip’s mom only pretends to put food on Brock’s plate, and often Phillip’s dad almost backs over Brock’s motorcycle in the driveway. Philip’s parents also just don’t see how funny Brock can be.
Copyright Carter Goodrich, 2015, courtesy of Simon & Schuster.
One evening the whole family goes to the Big Fair. “‘Brock wants us to ride the Brain Shaker!’” says Phillip. But his parents won’t listen. “‘Tell Brock the Brain Shaker is a big kids’ ride,’” his dad says. At the fair Phillip and Brock ride the merry-go-round, the bumper cars, and the Tilt-A-Whirl. Phillip has cotton candy, but there are no beans and spaghetti snacks for Brock. Finally, Phillip begins to feel sleepy. But Brock? He’s riding the Brain Shaker!
Copyright Carter Goodrich, 2015, courtesy of Simon & Schuster.
As the car pulls into the driveway, Phillip wakes up. “‘Where’s Brock?!’” he yells. Phillip runs into the house. No Brock. “‘We forgot Brock!’” Phillip sobs. “‘We Forgot Brock!’” Back at the fair Brock searches for Phillip from atop the Ferris wheel. Suddenly, a little girl asks him if he is okay. When Brock tells her he’s lost, she invites him to come home with her and her friend Princess Sparkle Dust.
Being at home with Anne and Princess Sparkle Dust is okay, but Brock misses Phillip. To cheer him up Anne and the Princess do magic tricks, and they all play games and tell each other stories. Meanwhile, Phillip is looking all over the neighborhood for Brock, but he’s nowhere to be found.
Both Brock and Phillip have almost given up hope of reuniting when… “‘BROCK!!!’” Phillip bumps into his friend on the street. Brock introduces Phillip to Anne and Princess Sparkle Dust and they all become fast friends. From then on “they spent all their time goofing around together. And everything was even better than before.”
Image copyright Carter Goodrich, 2015, courtesy of Simon & Schuster
Carter Goodrich’s story of friendship and imagination bursts with charm and heart and will enchant both kids and adults. Written in a conversational manner, Goodrich immediately engages with a child’s perspective while offering plenty for adults to appreciate in his adorable and hilarious illustrations. Brock, depicted as a black-and-white crayon drawing, is Phillip’s foil—tall, muscular, a little mysterious, a little fierce—while incorporating a child’s sweetness and silliness. Princess Sparkle Dust is similarly drawn in purple and white, complete with a heart-shaped face and a crown.
Phillip, sporting a Superman costume and red cowboy boots, and Anne, wearing an angel dress complete with wings, everywhere they go are the embodiments of unselfconscious fantasy. Phillip’s parents share amused-but-loving glances even as they accept their son’s imaginary friend. Adults may laugh out loud at the illustration of Phillip rolling on the floor laughing at Brock’s funny antics while his parents watch the television news with a Keith Morrison look-alike anchorman. The softly lit and welcoming home environments as well as the vibrant, glowing Big Fair are everything a kid would dream them to be.
We Forgot Brock! is a book that will be remembered and asked for again and again, and is a must addition to any child’s library.
Ages 4 – 8
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2015 | ISBN 978-1442480902
Visit Carter Goodrich’s Website to view a gallery of his work for other picture books and movies, such as Ratatouille, Despicable Me, and Brave, as well as cover art for “The New Yorker” and other publications.
I Forgot Day Activity
Great Idea! Drawing Page
Great ideas can come and go in an instant! Use this drawing page to sketch out your creative brain blasts—whether they are imaginative friends, ingenious inventions, or cool scenes—before you forget them! Here’s your printable Great Idea! Drawing Page.
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Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-a-Million
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