Pingo Books in Order

The Pingo books are short, fully illustrated stories about an imaginary friend who refuses to disappear just because his human is supposed to be growing up. Where Mull’s fantasy series follow kids through sprawling quests, these picture books zoom in on the small, everyday drama of hanging on to imagination.

In the first book, Pingo, readers meet Chad, a boy whose imaginary friend looks like a small goblin with wild hair, a striped scarf, and a taste for adventure. Together they turn Chad’s bedroom into a zero gravity chamber, defend forts from invisible ninja armies, and brew magical potions out of everyday objects. For a while it is a perfect partnership. Then classmates start to tease Chad for talking to someone they cannot see, and he decides that being “too old” for an imaginary friend is safer than being different.

Chad tries to dismiss Pingo with a firm goodbye, expecting the friend in his head to fade. Instead, Pingo gleefully declares himself Chad’s imaginary enemy. What follows is a long running prank war that stretches from childhood into Chad’s adult and even elderly years. Pingo hides shoes, disrupts sleep, and pulls harmless but exasperating tricks, all while refusing to be forgotten. The humor keeps the story light, but the arc quietly raises questions about what is lost when we decide that play is only for kids.

Pingo and the Playground Bully works as a prequel, dropping back into Chad’s elementary school days. During recess, the kids start a contest to see whose imaginary friend is the strongest or smartest, parading their companions through feats of pretend bravery. A bully named Jeremy and his bruiser of an imaginary partner, Grunt, barge in and try to turn the game into yet another way to push others around.

Pingo’s role in this story is less about pranks and more about creative problem solving. Instead of matching the bully’s bluster, Chad and Pingo find ways to include everyone and undercut Jeremy’s power without trading kindness for cruelty. It is a gentle way to talk about exclusion, peer pressure, and the choice to stand up for other kids.

Taken together, the Pingo books celebrate the idea that imagination is not something you should have to give up on a schedule. They are playful enough for very young readers and layered enough that older kids and adults will recognize the bittersweet parts hiding under the jokes.