About the Author

Richard Egielski is the Caldecott Medal-winning illustrator of Hey, Al and many other books for children, including the Tub People series by Pam Conrad. He is also the author and illustrator of Buz and Jazper, both New York Times Best Illustrated Books, Three Magic Balls, and The Gingerbread Boy. Mr. Egielski lives in Milford, New Jersey, with his wife and son.

Richard Egielski is the Caldecott Medal-winning illustrator of Hey, Al and many other books for children, including the Tub People series by Pam Conrad. He is also the author and illustrator of Buz and Jazper, both New York Times Best Illustrated Books, Three Magic Balls, and The Gingerbread Boy. Mr. Egielski lives in Milford, New Jersey, with his wife and son.

Reviews

"In his debut as an author, Egielski is in complete command of his artistic material...A clever concept, executed with style and wit."-' "Kirkus Reviews" "The bright, gaudy, almost plastic-looking illustrations...will get a good poring-over from young readers."'- "The Horn Book" "The perfect prescription for a sick child home with a 'bug'."-' "The Boston Globe"

Caldecott Medalist Egielski (Hey, Al; The Tub People) debuts as author in this droll adventure wherein a bug named Buz who is accidentally swallowed by a boy eating cornflakes. "`Tsk, tsk, tsk,' said the doctor, `you caught a bug alright. I'm going to give you some pills. They'll get rid of that bug.'" The pills-modeled after the Keystone Cops-chase the befuddled Buz through the boy's body (``Hey, you with the wings! Freeze!``), until the poor insect floats out of the boy's ear and into the bathtub, and then flies home. Exhausted, Buz visits a bug doctor who prescribes pills to ``get rid of that germ'' trapped inside his body. Egielski paints as if with a zoom lens, magnifying the mundane and creating a quirky, effectively claustrophic internal universe. Between the pill police and the hapless Buz, it is a toss-up whether children will get a grasp for the invisible workings of pills, germs and ``bugs,'' or if they will become confused. No matter-this book is still great fun to read and to look at. Ages 3-7. (Sept.)