We Forgot Brock!: with audio recording

by Carter Goodrich

The importance of imaginary friends is very real in this picture book adventure from the author of Say Hello to Zorro! and lead character designer for Despicable Me, Finding Nemo, and Monsters, Inc.

Phillip and Brock are best friends. Everyone can see Phillip, but only Phillip can see Brock.

A night at the Big Fair is all fun and games until Phillip gets sleepy, heads home, and forgets Brock!

Brock misses Phillip. And Phillip misses Brock. Will they reunite? With the help of another pair of pals, they just might. Because even imaginary friends get lost sometimes. Finding them is part of the adventure.

Genres: Picture Books, Friendship, Childrens, Fiction, Storytime, Humor, Pirates

48 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 25, 2015

About the author

Carter Goodrich has illustrated sixteen New Yorker covers and was the lead character designer for Despicable Me. He has designed characters for many other beloved animated films, including Brave, Finding Nemo, Monsters, Inc, Open Season, and Ratatouille, for which he won the International Animated Film Society’s Annie Award for character design. A Rhode Island School of Design graduate, he has twice been awarded the gold medal from the Society of Illustrators in New York. His other picture books include Say Hello to Zorro!, A Creature Was Stirring, and The Hermit Crab.

Reviews

[Mischenko · Rating 4 out of 5]

To see this week's children's books, please visit https://readrantrockandroll.com/2017/...

A little boy named Phillip enjoys spending time with his imaginary friend named Brock. They play together, eat together, and pretty much do everything together. The strange thing is that nobody else can see Brock, so when they visit the fair, Brock accidentally gets left behind. Follow along in the story to see if Phillip will find Broch and if his parents might make an amazing discovery themselves.

The imaginary friends are drawn which gives them a different look from the other realistic characters. This is a really fun book but also scary and emotional. It’s the worst nightmare for Phillip, but we enjoyed the story and conclusion. 4****

Age Range: 4 – 8 years
Grade Level: Preschool – 3
Hardcover: 48 pages
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (August 25, 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1442480904
ISBN-13: 978-1442480902

[Erica · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you never had a friend that only you could see, you might not understand the seriousness of this story. You might think it's just a cute little tale about a boy and his imaginary friend. But you would be wrong. That's not what this is.
This is a horror story. This is a story about the most terrible thing that can happen. Parents worry about forgetting their children but that's nothing in comparison to unintentionally leaving your very best friend behind on the Brain Scrambler at the fair. You don't know what it's like to wake up from a dead sleep and find the seat beside you, previously always occupied by that friend that no one else believed existed, empty. How do you find your absentee friend when only you can see him? How will your life go on without him? How will you deal with the guilt and worry of knowing that he's out there, alone, missing you as much as you miss him? Who else will appreciate your phenomenal sartorial style?

If you never had a friend that only you could see, you should probably find someone who did have such a friend and let them read this to you because you just won't get it.

[Cheryl A. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good conclusion. Cute epilogue. Interesting that Dad is so 'buttoned-up' that he wears a necktie even to watch tv or visit the fair. I wish more had been done from the boy's pov in the middle. And I really wish the imaginary friends weren't over-the-top macho and girly stereotypes. If I ever see this theme portrayed better, I'll knock a star off this attempt.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Where The Adventures of Beekle tugs at your heartstrings, We Forgot Brock tickles your funny bone. Fun story and lovable illustrations about a boy who leaves his imaginary friend at the fair.

[Brandie · Rating 3 out of 5]

We Forgot Brock! By Carter Goodrich

Alright class, who here has or has had an imaginary friend? (class answers) Tell me about them. (class responds) Imaginary friends can be really fun especially if you don’t have any siblings to play with. When I was little my brother was a lot older than me and so I played alone a lot. Playing alone is not that fun and so I came up with my imaginary friend Samantha and we played dolls and cars and puzzles. Samantha would help me with my homework and keep me company when I was sick. If I ever would have lost Samantha I would have probably been pretty sad. Has anyone ever lost their imaginary friend before? (class answers) Well, today we are going to read about a boy named Phillip and his imaginary friend Brock. What can you tell me from the front page about Phillip and Brock? (class answers) That’s right, Phillip and Brock are best friends who like to play pirates. They have many adventures together. As we read I want you to think about their friendship and everyone’s reaction to Brock. I want you to compare their friendship with that of yours. As we read can you tell me how Phillip feels when they lose Brock and how they lose Brock?

The opening moves that I used were asking background from the children about imaginary friends and allowing their personal connection with the story, I also used the illustrations on the cover to help them predict the friendship of Philip and Brock. Giving the children my personal connection helps them feels more comfortable about talking about imaginary friends. I want my readers to be excited about the story and I want them to make predictions about what they think will happen based on the photos. I feel like asking a lot of questions and giving a personal base to stories helps engage the kids and get them excited about reading.

[Rachel Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Opening Move #1

Today we are going to read about a boy's imaginary friend. Do you have an imaginary friend? [children respond]. Altogether I want you to shout out your imaginary friend's name. [children shout name of imaginary friend]. Very nice! Now I want you to think about what your imaginary friend looks like. [turn to page 33 and 34]. Does your imaginary friend look like this? While I’m reading, I want you to think to yourself about what your imaginary friend looks like and how the illustrator draws the imaginary friends. [begin reading story].

The first opening move I used was asking the children to share about their own imaginary friends to sort of introduce them to the story. I also prompted them to notice the details of the illustrator and how the imaginary friends are drawn, and how their own imaginary friends look in their minds. I opened up the book as well and gave them a small preview of what the characters looked like.


Opening Move #2

The story we are going to read today is called “We Forgot Brock!”. [show children cover of the book]. Now, I’m going to tell you a little secret: Brock is this boy’s imaginary friend. Don’t answer out loud, but think in your mind. What do you think the book will be about? What do you think will happen to Brock? Let’s find out! [open book and begin reading story].


The first thing I did was give them a little information going into it by telling them that Brock was the imaginary friend. Then, I had them make a prediction based on the title and raised questions to strike curiosity about what might happen to Brock in the story.

[Molly Howell · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little boy, Phillip, has an imaginary friend named Brock. Phillip's parents do not see him, but play along. One day, the family goes to a carnival. After a long night of fun, Phillip falls asleep in his parents arms, so they pack him up in the car to go home. Brock doesn't realize Phillip left and goes on another ride. Phillip awakens at home and yells "We Forgot Brock!" Brock realizes he has been forgotten, but another girl on the same ride, Ann, and her imaginary friend, Princess Sparkle Dust, take him home with them. The next day, Phillip scours the neighborhood looking for Brock and hanging lost signs. Brock plays with his new friends, but stops when he sees one of Phillip's lost signs. Just then, they find each other. All four now play together in Phillip's backyard. (Phillip's parents seem happy since it appears that he found a "real" friend in Ann.)

Opening Moves
1. Read Title: Have you ever left someone behind or has anyone left you behind by accident before? How did that make you feel?

2. Look at this illustration on the cover. Do you think one of these people is Brock? Which one? Why?

3. Did the illustrator draw the two people using the same drawing materials or style? Why might he have done them so differently?

Goodrich, C. (2015). We forgot brock! New York, NY: Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers.

[Joshua · Rating 5 out of 5]

1) Has any one here ever lost or misplaced something that they loved very much? {wait for a child to respond} How did that make you feel on the inside? {wait for a child to respond} What do you think would happen if you lost your imaginary friend, that only you could see? Well let’s now read “We Forgot Brock!” and find out the answer to that question.

2) The two openings I used:
- Raise question to spark curiosity
- Foreshadow the problem of the story

3) I chose the first opening because I wanted to relate the story to something that the children might have lost or misplaced in their own past, this way they would be pulled into the story. I chose the second opening because the foreshadowing I did with the question that I asked, will make the students want to hear the outcome of this story.

[Caleb R · Rating 5 out of 5]

Opening move 1: Prompt brief sharing of personal experiences related to the topic or theme: I would ask the children if they had ever been somewhere with a friend or maybe their parents and they got separated. The children would come up with situations and then I would say, “Well in this book this little boy had a very similar experience to you guys, let’s find out what it was.”
Opening move 2: Draw attention to the setting: I would ask the children “Have you ever been to the fair? Well this little boy went to a fair, let’s find out what happens!”
Opening move 3: Ask the children to think about the writer’s style and typical theme or topic: I would ask the children “why do you think that little boy friend is so much bigger than him? Why is he only black and white? Let’s find out”

[Starla · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would start off by showing the children the cover. Then I would ask the children, "Do you have an imaginary friend that you like to play with"? I would allow for students to respond. I would tell them "When I was your age, I had an imaginary friend I used to play with to". I would tell them the title of the book. Next I will ask them, "What do you think happened"? I would give the children a chance to respond. They may respond that they forgot their imaginary friend somewhere. Let's see where Brock may have been forgotten.
- Draws attention to the illustrations
-Personal connection
- Invites the students to share their personal connections
- Brainstorming what the children think by the title

[Carmen · Rating 4 out of 5]

1. "Today we are going to read "We Forgot Brock!" Raise your hand if you think you know what this book is about and who do you think Brock is." "Has anyone ever forgot something when they went to the grocery store or to the park? Maybe a favorite toy or blanket? How did that make you feel?"

2. Prompt Predicitons based on the title & Foreshadow the problem of the story

3. I chose these two opening move choices because hearing the students predictions will keep the other students engaged and interested into find out who Brock is in the story and what happens to Brock. I also chose to foreshadow/ relate to the students. I did this because the title has the word "forgot" in it so I related it to the students lives by asking them if theyve ever forgotten something that was close to their hearts and asked them how it made them feel. This way they can relate to Philip in the story.

[Brianne]

We Forgot Brock! By Carter Goodrich (The Nebraska Golden Sower Award Winner 18-19)

Teacher: Today we will be reading a new book called, We Forgot Brock! Open the book to pages 2, 4. What do you notice about the pictures?

Possible Responses: Brock looks different from everyone.

Teacher: How does he look different?

Possible Responses: The others have more colors than him. He’s black and white.

Teacher: Why do you think the author/illustrator chose to do that? Why do you think on page 2 it shows the little boy and Brock on a seesaw, but when adults are watching on page 4, they only see Brock? What could that mean about Brock?

Possible Responses: Maybe adults can’t see Brock, only kids.

Teacher: What kind of friend would adults not be able to see? Maybe an imaginary friend? Does someone know what an imaginary friend is?--If not: imaginary means it is a friend we made up within our minds. We thought about if we could have any friend in the world, what they would look like, sound like, act like. They are not real friends, but friends we pretend we can see and play with. Has anyone ever had an imaginary friend? Can you tell us about your imaginary friend? Thank you for sharing, and now let’s read to find out what happens with the little boy and his imaginary friend, Brock.

Opening Moves: Draw attention to the illustrator’s craft, tell meaning of word (imaginary), prompt students to share personal connection with a text

[Brian Duffy]

Do you have an imaginary friend? [response] This is about an imaginary friend named Brock. The book's title is "We forgot about Brock!" What do you think will happen to Brock? [response] Let's find out.

- Invite personal connections
- Prompt predictions based on the title

I wanted to allow the children to know that their peers might also have imaginary friends. That way they can potentially bond over that commonality.

[Amelia Martinez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have you ever had an imaginary friend? What was your imaginary friend name? Have you ever lost your imaginary friend? Let's find out what happens when Phillip loses Brock?

Today we are going to read the book "We Forgot Brock!" by Carter Goodrich. I will start off by asking the question "Have you ever had an imaginary friend?". I will listen to the student's responses and then move on to the new question. "What was your imaginary friend name?" I will listen to the student's answers to the question and go on to the final question. "Have you ever lost your imaginary friend?" For this question, I would have the students pair up with each other and I would listen to the stories they tell each other. Now let's read the book to find out the answer to "What happens when Phillip loses Brock?. I would read the book and at the end, I would ask for feedback.

These questions will help the students learn more about the book before they start to read it. This will get the student's thinking about their imaginary friend and making a connection to the book. Another reason why these questions are hopefully is to know what the students understand and what they need to work on. This will help me know what the students know and what material I still need to cover with the students.

[Ashley Goyco]

Opening Moves Script

Me: "Before I read We Forgot Brock by Carter Goodrich, what do you notice about the character Brock after looking at the cover? He doesn't look like the little boy standing next to him, does he?"

Boy: "He's drawn!"

Me: "He looks does look drawn. What do you think that means? Is Brock real? or is he a fake person?"

Children: "Fake!"

Me: "He might be fake. We'll have to read to find out."

[Flips book over to show the back image of Brock on a lost poster]

Me: "It looks like Brock might get lost in the story. Have you ever lost anything? What did you do? How did you feel?"

Girl: "I lost my Elsa doll. I cried because I was sad."

Me: "I've cried because I've lost something in the past. As we read the story, we will have to see how Phillip reacts to losing Brock."

[Kelli Houdesheldt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Imaginary, what does that word mean? (clarify and discuss with students) Have you ever had an imaginary friend? (let students share) This book, “We Forgot Brock,” is about a little boy named Phillip who’s best buddy is Brock. Phillips parents think that Brock is imaginary but Phillip doesn’t mind because they still let Brock ‘be’ with their family all the time. Phillips family goes to the big fair to have some fun but something bad happens! Let’s read to find out if the problem gets solved!

In this opening, the teacher will:
-invite personal connections
-tell the meaning of a keyword
-prompt brief sharing of personal experiences related to the topic or theme

[David LaDay]

“We Forgot Brock”
Boys and girls, as we sit in our meeting area, can you think for a second about if you had an imaginary friend when you were younger, or right now? As you get settled, turn to your elbow partner on the right and share the name of your imaginary friend. If you did not have one, then simply listen to your partner share. (Give the kids a few minutes to share, then bring their attention back to me.)
Today I am going to read a story about a boy who lost his imaginary friend.
Moves:
> Prompt predictions based on the title
> Prompt sharing personal experience related to the topic
> Activate background knowledge

[Ivy Armitage]

Read aloud script:
"What does it mean if I say something is imaginary? (children respond) "So what do I mean if I ask you to use your imagination?" (children respond) *clarify as needed* Read the first page and focus on the illustration. "How are the two characters drawn differently? (children respond) The illustrator is showing us that one character is real and the other is imaginary. We Forgot Brock is a story about a boy named Philip and his imaginary friend Brock." Once I turn the page 11 times and read pause briefly to point out "What?!?! Someone else can see him?!?!" Then continue reading the rest of the pages.


Opening moves used:
Ask children to make connections with previously read text
Tell the meaning of a key word
Read some of the text to engage attention
Draw attention to the illustrations and how it relates to the text/story

[Matthew Hoffart]

1) Share a personal connection with text: "Did you know when I was about your age, I had a friend named David? David and I did everything together! We went to the playground together. We played in the sandbox together. We looked at books together. David even stayed over at my house every night. There was just one problem...my mom and dad couldn't see David and didn't think he was real." (Go on and play out the situation more) "Our book 'We Forgot Brock' is about a boy named Phillip who has friend a lot like David-they play together all of the time but Phillip's parents can't see him."
2) Raise questions in the readers' minds: "What do you think happens to an invisible friend like David when you start playing with friends you can see? We'll see what happens when we read our book."

[Megan Orchard]

Boys and girls, when I was little, I think about first or second grade, I had an imaginary friend. My imaginary friend and I did everything together; we went to school, and played in my back yard. When I moved, I left my imaginary friend behind, and that was a sad, sad day. "Phillip's parents say that Brock is imaginary, whatever that means. Phillip and Brock are best friends. They do everything together. Until one day when Brock is left behind at the Big Fair. Now it's time for an imaginary friend to look for his real pal. And it's time for a real pal to search for his lost imaginary friend. But in the end they might find something more."


-Share a personal connection you have with the text.
-Read some of the text to engage attention.

[Gillyz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book, the story is very fun, but mostly importantly to me is that I can learn a lot on illustrations by analysing Carter's works, his compositions and techniques are really inspiring.

[Julie Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Did you ever have an imaginary friend when you were younger or may even now? Imaginative play is something the most fun because almost anything can happen. Can you make any predictions about Brock? Raise your hand if you think it’s the boy. Raise your hand if you think it’s the imaginary friend? What is something you have lost? Did your parent take you back to go and retrieve it? My daughter left her coat in the monkey building at the zoo and we had to go back and get it. I asked her if she thought the monkeys may try her coat on and she said probably!
1. Foreshadow the problem of the story.
2. Invite personal connections
3. Raise interest in a topic or a theme

[Tessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book about a little boy and his imaginary friend. It perfectly captures the feelings of love and loss when they are parted. This is a Red Clover Book Award nominee and I have read it to all of my library classes, grades K - 4. Every class has enjoyed it and I have enjoyed their looks of surprise at the very last illustration (mom finds Brock's hat). They came up with great reasons for that. I'd definitely recommend this book to elementary kids.

[Lauren Marshall · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book we are going to read today is We Forgot Brock! Who do you think Brock is? Do you think Brock is going to be left behind? We are going to learn about a certain friend only a little boy named, Phillip can see and how strong their friendship is. Have any of you had a friend only you can see? Let’s see what happens to Phillip and Brock.

2018 Picture Book Winner-Golden Sower

[Jillian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute take on the imaginary friend story with delightful illustrations. Pair with Adventures of Beekle & Marilyn's Monster.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Goodrich's books; they are so solid, so funny, so good at taking a topic that kids can relate to and dealing with it in a creative way.

[Scott Robins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfectly captures the imagination and the level of detail that kids put into their fantasy creations and is a delightful story about the power of creating stories.

[Lauren Waters · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many parents and kids will be able to relate to this simple, but fun story of the power of friendship even when it is imaginary.

[Laura McLoughlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poor Brock and Phillip! Glad everything worked out in the end. Loved the illustrations.

[Joe Bertelloni · Rating 3 out of 5]

Categories/Genres for this class fulfilled by this book: Picture book, Fiction

Copyright Date: 2015

Estimate of age level of interest: Kindergarten - 2nd Grade

Estimate of reading level: 1st grade - 2nd grade

Brief description:
Phillip and Brock are best friends, but Phillips parents insist that Brock is imaginary. When Phillip and Brock go to the Big Fair, Phillip falls asleep and his parents take him home while Brock rides one last ride. When Phillip wakes up he realizes that Brock is not there and that he must have been forgotten at the Big Fair. Phillip begins searching for his best friend. Meanwhile, Brock is found by a young girl, Anne, and her friend Princess Sparkle Dust, who take Brock home with them. Brock, Princess, and Anne become fast friends, but then Brock sees a missing poster that Phillip had hung up looking for him and he misses his friend. When they find each other, all four become best friends, though Phillip’s parents just think he has made only one new friend.

Identify at least 2 characteristics of this genre and subgenre and discuss how they appear in your book:

One of the most obvious characteristics of this book is its use of color and medium to express the difference between the “real” world characters and their imaginary friends. The world and the people in it are painted in bright colors, are shaded and have great detail. Brock and Princess Sparkle Dust, the imaginary companions of Phillip and Anne are drawn in monochromatic crayon. Brock is a black and white creation and Princess Sparkle Dust is purple and white. The use of simple crayon for the imaginary sidekicks instantly separates them and makes it obvious to young readers that there is something special about them.

The content of this story is something that most children can relate to, having a friend and losing them for some reason. It plays on the anxiety of being lost, but provides the happy resolution that children look for. Brock feels equally lost and is able to find his way with some new friends and find his way back to Phillip. In all this story is able to relate some adult themes to children in a way that is fanciful and not too scary.

In what ways and how well does the book as a whole serve its intended audience?

This book is an excellent choice for early elementary school students because it tells a story of a boy who loses something close to his heart and searches everywhere for it. While searching however, his friend branches out and meets new friends. This is a great story for children because it teaches not to give up hope and that sometimes good things come from hard times.

Awards if any:
Red Clover Nominee 2016-17


Links to published reviews from professional sources e.g. ALA, Booklist, Kirkus, SLJ, etc. if any:

Booklist starred (August 2015 (Vol. 111, No. 22))
Horn Book Guide (Spring 2016)
Kirkus Reviews (June 15, 2015)
Publishers Weekly (May 18, 2015)
School Library Journal (August 1, 2015)