Real to Me by Minh Lê

Abstract

Reviewed by: Real to Me by Minh Lê Kate Quealy-Gainer Lê, Minh Real to Me; illus. by Raissa Figueroa. Knopf, 2023 [40p] Library ed. ISBN 9780593377505 $21.99 Trade ed. ISBN 9780593377499 $18.99 E-book ed. ISBN 9780593377512 $10.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R* 3-6 yrs Two friends—one a giant, green, furry monster-like creature, the other a young child sporting a gorgeous afro and a rainbow T-shirt—spend their days having all sorts of fun (and getting into all sorts of mischief). Their relationship, however, isn't quite understood by the others in their lives: "Others tried to tell me that she wasn't real, that she was just imaginary. But what did they know?" But when the green creature wakes up to find their friend nowhere, they wonder if the others were right; regardless, they still desperately miss their friend's laugh, mischief, and affection: "She was real to me." It's a heartbreaking moment, made more emotional by the flipped script: it's the human girl who has walked away from the friendship, not the supposedly imaginary friend, so readers must then contend with the idea of a kid actively leaving a childhood experience and the following repercussions. Fortunately, the book isn't trying to guilt anyone into keeping a relationship they've outgrown, and we soon see the creature making friends with others, laughing, playing, and getting into plenty of trouble, despite still missing their former partner in crime. Whimsical art matches the story perfectly, saturating the pages with vibrant, rich colors, and placing the characters in fanciful settings as they float through the air on dandelion puffs, cross starry bridges, and quietly sit, pondering a honey-colored sky. Kids familiar with Bing Bong from Pixar's Inside Out will find echoes of that here, but any youngster who has felt the pain of putting away childish things will find this an emotionally palpable, thoughtful story. Copyright © 2023 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois