Sam is pained by loneliness until the imaginary Fred enters his life. But will Fred fade away as Sam fears when Sam befriends someone real who shares his love of comics, music and drama?

We often think of the ‘imaginary friend’ as a stage that children will grow out of. But with the dream team pairing of Eoin Colfer and Oliver Jeffers, the imaginary world takes on a rich three-dimensional life of its own. Colfer’s storytelling has a playful wit and charm, and leaves space for Jeffers to expand and improvise with simple but subtle design. Imaginary Fred is a keeper.

Mike Shuttleworth