Common Sense Media Review
By Mary Eisenhart
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Six-year-old imaginations run riot in appealing sequel.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 6+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
Dory, the wildly imaginative 6-year-old who made her entrance in Dory Fantasmagory, is starting first grade and determined to get along. People give her lots of advice; her older sister tells her "the most important thing to remember is, DON'T BE YOURSELF," and her imaginary friend Mary, who's definitely not allowed to go to school, insists Dory needs to take extra salami. When the big day comes, she's amazed to meet Rosabelle, whose imagination may be even more active than her own. The two are soon BFFs, which leads to exciting adventures, many featuring the imaginary friends and foes from Book 1. Of course, Dory's family has heard so much about her imaginary friends that they don't believe she has a real one -- which leads to a surprise or two in DORY AND THE REAL TRUE FRIEND.
Is It Any Good?
Former first-grade teacher Abby Hanlon has a deep, wacky understanding of 6-year-olds dealing with school, cliques, sibling rivalry, and more, and she puts it to good use in these delightful tales. Along the way -- in addition to fun illustrations -- she delivers lots of positive messages, as well as a believable portrayal of long-suffering siblings who roll their eyes at Dory's antics but also play with her and do things she likes. Dory's imaginary friend Mary, who gets jealous of her real friend Rosabelle, necessitates a bit of a balancing act on Dory's part. Most satisfying, though, is the connection of two like-minded souls finding each other:
"That afternoon during math time I whisper to Rosabelle, 'There's one more thing I have to tell you. I have a fairy godmother named Mr. Nuggy, and he accidentally turned into a chicken.'
"'Oh! That same thing happened to my fairy godmother once,' whispers Rosabelle."
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about imaginary friends. Which other stories do you know where the real characters interact with imaginary ones? Do you like those stories, or do you think they're just silly?
How can you tell if someone's your friend?
If your imaginary friends were in danger, what would you do?
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : Abby Hanlon
- Genre : Friendship
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic ) , Family Stories ( Siblings ) , Friendship
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Dial Books
- Publication date : July 7, 2015
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 6 - 8
- Available on : Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate