Imaginary Fred
By Jan Carr,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Imaginary pal has abandonment issues in fun, offbeat tale.

A Lot or a Little?
What you will—and won't—find in this book.
Where to Read
Community Reviews
There aren't any parent reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.
What's the Story?
IMAGINARY FRED is an imaginary friend who dreams of getting a long-term friend and is happy when he gets called into service by a boy named Sam -- especially when the two turn out to have much in common. But then Sam finds a "real" friend, and Fred fears he'll be abandoned and start to fade. No worries! Sam's new friend has her own imaginary friend, and the four become an inseparable (musical) quartet. Eventually, as they get older, the real friends pair off to become a musical duo, and the two imaginary ones bond as a couple themselves, becoming "quite famous in the imaginary community."
Is It Any Good?
Longer text and a fun, freewheeling narrative, told from the unusual point of view of the imaginary friend, make this a super choice for older kids in the picture-book crowd. Fred's a true-blue imaginary friend -- he's even rendered in blue! -- but he always gets dumped when a "real" friend comes along. This time, though, his new friend has an imaginary friend of her own, so the four hang out together. Friends both real and imagined are shown to have the same feelings: pleasure when sharing interests and activities, jealousy when they fear they might be replaced.
Since Eoin Colfer usually writes novels, there's some sophisticated humor that might go over a young kid's head: The friends pretend to be French and study mime. But there's plenty for the intended age group: The friends plan their own comic book, call themselves "the Dramatic Duo," and call emergency meetings. The messages are positive: Imagine a friend and he or she will come, and friendship survives bumps. Kid-lit superstars Colfer and Jeffers clearly had a blast collaborating on this book, and the fun shines through.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about friendship. What makes a good friend? Who are your good friends? What do you like about them?
How did the artist draw the imaginary friends? Why do you think he drew them that way?
Have you ever had an imaginary friend? Why do you think kids have them?
Book Details
- Author: Eoin Colfer
- Illustrator: Oliver Jeffers
- Genre: Picture Book
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy, Friendship, Great Boy Role Models, Great Girl Role Models
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: HarperCollins Children's Books
- Publication date: September 29, 2015
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 4 - 8
- Number of pages: 48
- Available on: Hardback, Kindle
- Last updated: July 12, 2017
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 suggesting a diversity update.
Suggest an Update
Where to Read
Our Editors Recommend
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