Review by Booklist Review
Bonnie brings Forky, her favorite homemade toy, to kindergarten, where her class will be making their very own buddies out of craft materials and recyclables. However, confused chaos ensues during recess. Popsicle Stick Man freaks out without his flavored ice topping, Miss Paper Plate misses having food on her face, Toilet Paper Tube Race Car zooms around seeking toilet paper to cover himself, and Bubble Wrap Woman can't stop popping herself. The spork psychologist stops the pandemonium as he analyzes their identity crises. He explains: You're all toys. Which means you were made out of pure love . . . it's the best thing to be. The last double-page spread shows each craft buddy all smiles because they are loved just as they are. The illustrations, which are inspired by the characters from Toy Story 4, are simple and childlike, but those buddies display a wealth of angst in their faces and colorful multipurposed bodies. Forky's pipe-cleaner hands and off-center blue smile give him his very own caring personality, ready for any challenge.--Lolly Gepson Copyright 2019 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Horn Book Review
Bonnie brings Forky to school, which inspires a "Craft Your Own Buddy Day" in her classroom. Forky teaches the newly created toys how to accept who they are. Inspired by Toy Story 4, the franchise matters more than the story, which is fine since the target audience will love it. The illustrations, fonts, and speech bubbles are an amalgam of styles, leading to a chaotic layout. (c) Copyright 2021. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Bonnie so loves her homemade toy, Forky, teacher Miss Wendy holds a Craft Your Own Buddy Day so everyone can create a special toy from found or recycled materials.After the children finish their projects, they leave for recessand the newly created toys come to life. Lovable Forky is excited to have new friends to play with, but he rapidly realizes the new toys have serious existential concerns. Juice Box Robot wants someone to drink from him. Miss Paper Plate and Paper Bag Puppet are looking for food to hold. Bubble Wrap Woman begins obsessively popping herself. Everyone is feeling out of their comfort zone, arguing and yelling, so Forky takes charge before the children return and wisely explains that to be a toy, made with a child's love and imagination, is now "the best thing to be." The cartoon drawings emulate a child's artistic hand, while a dual narrative that combines traditional prose text with speech bubbles moves the story along. In this companion to Disney/Pixar's Toy Story 4 (readers familiar with the franchise will recognize some of the faces in the background), Daywalt reiterates the series' message that toys and their owners love one other. However, the underlying theme of creativity with the simplest of materials will resonate as well. Bonnie presents white, and she has racially diverse classmates.The talking crafted toys hold considerable child appeal. (Picture book. 4-7) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
