Reviews

Dinosaur Bob fans should rejoice: in his latest work, Joyce pulls out all the stops and introduces the weirdest family since his Lazardo clan. A young narrator, going to see his best friend Wilbur, remarks, ``His house is the greatest place to visit.'' Readers soon see why. Wilbur's large household includes an aunt whose train set is life-sized, an uncle who shares his ``deep thoughts'' (``Mississippi spelled with o 's . . . would be Mossossoppo !'') and a grandfather who trains a dancing frog band. There's not much in the way of formal plot here--save a slight mystery involving Grandfather's missing false teeth--but Joyce's wonderfully strange paintings abound with hilarious, surprising details and leave the impression that a lot has happened. A visit to the Robinsons' is a bit overwhelming (as the narrator says, ``I was kind of sad to leave, but I was ready to go home for a while''), but it's a trip children will want to make again and again. Ages 4-8. (Sept.)

The Robinson's house is not like anyone else's because Wilbur's family is not like any other. The slim plot that involves Wilbur and his visiting friend looking for Grandfather's lost false teeth is just a device to introduce the wonderfully weird family members. Most of the jokes are only in the pictures, while the restrained, slightly tongue-in-cheek text provides a satisfying contrast. The text states that Aunt Billie is playing with her train set, Cousin Pete is walking the cats, and Uncle Art has just arrived from abroad, but the trains are shown as full sized, the cats are tigers, and Uncle Art is stepping out of a flying saucer. The illustrative style is reminiscent in both color and form of 1940s advertising art. Many details such as hairstyles, clothing, and even a robot seem influenced by that period. In keeping with the advertising look, the layout is open and spacious. Although the figures often appear frozen in a pose, even when gesticulating, and the two boys are mainly passive observers except in a close-up of a wild pillow fight, the imaginative details and the changing perspectives keep the pictures interesting. Children may not realize that the dancing frogs are watching Fred Astaire movies or that sister has a model of the Empire State building for a headdress--these jokes are for adults--but they will enjoy the imaginative play and delight in filling in the text. --Karen James, Louisville Free Public Library, KY