Ugh. This book is the most unsubtle metaphor for childhood/ growing up I've ever read. Worst of all, it captures none of the real essence of modern childhood, but instead mythologizes tired tropes of girls vs boys, bike riding as a symbol for freedom, of throwing away childish things when one reaches maturity. Most baffling to me is the primary plot of the story, Jack's lost/ stolen bike. Why must he give up his bike when he "leaves" Hokey Pokey or his baseball glove for that matter? The symbolism wasn't lost on me, but it just made no narrative sense. The worldbuilding just isn't there and neither are the characters. The entire book is just one long metaphor with places and people simply representing archetypes and symbols rather than actual things. I give this book 3 stars mostly for its sparse, yet effective language. There's an almost Stephen King's Dark Tower-like elegance to the prose and the amalgamation of the bizarre and mundane. Frustratingly, this is just the type of book that people give awards to or use in class: "worthy" literature that no actual child would really read. I mean honestly, the themes and metaphors are only appreciated by teens or adults who have already left childhood behind, but the book isn't written for them. Toy Story 3 captures the essence of growing up while at the same time being incredibly accessible to young children in a way that Hokey Pokey can't even touch. Also, I'm sorry but the whole idea of going into a room and getting snuggled by something you never see just strikes me as profoundly creepy, as is the "Hokey Pokey Man" who brings frozen ices every day to this imaginary land where there are no other adults. I can't really recommend this book to anyone, though it is well written.