Pretend

by Jennifer Plecas, Jennifer Plecas (Illustrator)

Overview

What could have been a quiet afternoon at home turns into an adventure for Jimmy and his dad. Their couch turns into a boat! The staircase becomes a mountain! And blankets become a cozy hut, just right to cuddle inside. The one thing they don't have to pretend is how much they love one another.

Jennifer Plecas's bold artwork and lively text come together in a celebration of imagination and the love between a parent and child. Great for Father's Day, but wonderful for any day that parent and child spend together.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781101648636
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	05/12/2011
Sold by:	Penguin Group
Format:	eBook
Pages:	32
File size:	28 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

Jennifer Plecas lives in Blue Springs, Missouri.

Editorial Reviews

"Pretend... that this couch is a big boat, and that we're floating on an ocean," says Jimmy to his father. Dad, with his shoes off and magazine in hand, was clearly looking forward to some Me Time, but he acquiesces, and the pair are off on an elaborate fantasy adventure that involves crossing oceans, landing on a deserted island, and making camp at the top of a challenging mountain. Jimmy, of course, calls all the shots and proves both courageous and competent ("I don't know if I can make it," Dad tells Jimmy. "Don't worry!" his son replies, "I'll help you!"). The breezy writing and lighthearted watercolor cartoons make this father-son bonding story fly by; with occasional reminders of where Jimmy and Dad really are, readers gain a full appreciation for the powers of the boy's imagination. If the wrapup feels a bit heavy-handed and unnecessary ("You're the best," Jimmy tells his father. "For pretend and for real"), it's only because Plecas (Ella Kazoo Will Not Brush Her Hair) has already done such a good job conveying how much her characters enjoy each other's company. Ages 3–8. (May)

Publishers Weekly

PreS-K—"Pretend," Jimmy says to his father, "that this couch is a big boat," kicking off an action-filled journey. Dad takes a little prodding to get into the spirit of the game, but soon he, his son, and the dog are fishing for cookies, throwing magazine "rocks" at sharks, and scanning the horizon for land. Dad draws the line, though, at standing on the "boat." As the game builds, the details of the living room fade away, leaving the two, and the ever-present pup, on a deserted tropical island. Occasional returns to reality reveal the underpinnings of their game: the stairs become a mountain, and a blanket draped over chairs transforms into a hut. As the game winds down and father, son, and dog rest by an imaginary campfire, Jimmy says, "We can look up at the stars and say, "This is the best time ever.'" "Well," says Dad, "I don't have to pretend that part. It is the best time ever." Watercolor and ink cartoons reinforce the light tone and loving relationship. The text is spot-on—honest and loving without sentimentality. No mother is seen or indicated. Her absence means that this title can be added to the slim list of picture books depicting a one-parent household headed by the father.—Suzanne Myers Harold, Multnomah County Library System, Portland, OR

School Library Journal

A sweet, imaginative father-son adventure.

Dad is sitting on the sofa, reading a magazine, shoes off, feet up, cookies and milk on the side table. Jimmy says, "Pretend" that the couch is a boat on the ocean, and they are surrounded by sharks, suddenly tired and starving. The sofa begins to float, and sharks fill the water, but Jimmy uses his fishing lines (the dog's leash) to capture dinner (the escaped cookies). Jimmy and Dad get out their binoculars (cue image of kid and dad using their hands to make circles over their eyes in classic gesture) and find an island. They have to climb to the hilltop to be safe (the stairs morph into a steep, green hill) and make a fort from stumps and large fronds (chairs and blankets). All this is rendered in friendly ink lines and soft watercolor. The button-eyed father and son share the same half-cookie smile and fuzzy hair. At the end, Jimmy says to pretend they are looking at the stars and building a campfire so they can say, "This is the best time ever"—and Dad notes that they don't have to pretend that part. It ends with a tiny coda, the best "for pretend and for real."

Darling and genuine. (Picture book. 3-7)

Kirkus Reviews