Mini Grey

Egg Drop will always be my favorite Mini Grey, but that doesn't stop me from checking out every new creation she comes up with. Her latest is a wacky space adventure that will make kids giggle - and maybe pause to think a little as well.

Space Dogs, Astro Cats, and Moustronauts are sworn enemies on Home Plant. Always have been, always will be. But when Space Dog rescues Astro Cat and then they both come upon Moustronaut, they make some surprising realizations - and have a tough decision to show more make.

Grey's artistic genius lies in the details and this book is no exception. A sharp eye will catch all sorts of details from the newspaper headlines "First dog on Mars" to the titles on the houses of the people of Niblet 12 (hint - they're all munchies!). Her bug-eyed characters don't have a lot of expression, but they still have strong personalities all the same.

One of the things I love about Mini Grey is her unexpected ending. The expected ending of this book, of course, is for the three new friends to go home and change everything on their planet, with everyone getting along now that they know each other....but Grey (and her characters) have other ideas and in a twist ending they come up with their own happily-ever-after.

Verdict: Aside from the mild message that maybe those who are "different" might have something to offer after all, this is just a fun romp in space. Whether or not kids take away the message of tolerance and friendship, they'll certainly have fun and might even want to write a few adventures for Space Dog, Astro Cat, and the Moustronaut themselves.

ISBN: 9780553510584; Published 2015 by Alfred A. Knopf; Review copy provided by publisher; Donated to the library show less

That redoubtable action-figure Traction Man returns in this third picture-book devoted to his adventures, enjoying a day at the beach with his faithful companion, Scrubbing Brush. Exploring a secluded rock pool, defending the family's picnic lunch from an over-eager puppy, and being washed out to sea on a plastic bottle - it's all in a day's work for Traction Man. When the action-figure/scrubbing-brush duo are rescued by a young girl and her dog, they find themselves ensconced in a crumbling show more sand castle, as the unwilling guests of Beachtime Brenda and her pal. Initially plotting their escape, they end up sticking around instead when the castle is destroyed, helping the dolls to rebuild, and excavating a hole to the center of the earth.

As with its two predecessors, Traction Man Is Here! and Traction Man Meets Turbo Dog, I enjoyed this imaginative tale from Mini Grey, appreciating the zany, madcap feeling of the story, and the colorful, amusing illustrations. Traction Man's expressions here are often particularly droll: his face, when "wearing" a mane of seaweed, was priceless, as was the look he exchanges with Scrubbing Brush, when they are first meeting the dolls. It's interesting that Traction Man spends some time away from his human boy, who is the implied creator of his adventures, but then, his wanderings bring the boy into contact with the girl, just as they bring him into contact with her toys, in the form of Beachtime Brenda. I liked the fact that Grey avoids stereotypes with her story, having the "girly" dolls help Traction Man and Scrubbing Brush escape the destruction of the castle, and then showing them all - action-men and dollies - working together at the end. With so much emphasis put on children playing with the "right" kind of toys - the very fact that we have to call a male doll an "action-figure" to avoid giving offense, or making people feel insecure - it was good to see her demonstrate (without didacticism) that it is all very much the same thing, for imaginative young children. show less

In this immensely entertaining picture-book from English children's author and artist Mini Grey, a young boy receives a new Traction Man hero-figure for Christmas, and proceeds to put him through his paces, in a variety of imaginary play scenarios. From scuba diving in the sink to crawling through the "jungle" near the pond, Traction Man is always triumphant, and always suitably dressed for the job! Then he is confronted with the green knitted romper suit that Granny has made for him. Can a show more super-hero be a super-hero, in such a get-up? Fortunately for Traction Man, his reliable sidekick, Scrubbing Brush, comes to the rescue...

Chosen as one of our December selections, over in The Picture-Book Club to which I belong, where our theme this month is toys, Traction Man Is Here! is a hilarious tale of a boy and his toy, and the adventures they have together. Although the boy is often out of the picture, it is clear that it is he, and not Traction Man, who is directing the action, making the resolution of the green romper suit issue all the more humorous. With bright, appealing artwork, and an engaging story that emphasizes the boy's imagination - I particularly liked the Poisonous Dishcloth monster, and the Scrubbing Brush dog - this is a book that young kids with a sense of humor, and a fondness for imaginary play will appreciate! show less

For all those readers who wondered what happened to the runaway dish and spoon at the end of the classic nursery rhyme, "Hey Diddle Diddle" - "Hey diddle diddle, / The Cat and the fiddle, / The Cow jumped over the moon, / The little Dog laughed to see such sport, / And the Dish ran away with the Spoon" - picture-book author and artist Mini Grey steps in, spinning a tale of immigration, adventure, crime and punishment, and a great comeback. Sailing the seas to America, Dish and Spoon soon show more find fame as a vaudeville act, only to see their luck change and to lose everything. Taking to a life of crime, they find themselves arrested and convicted after a bank job gone wrong, spending many years in prison before being deported (back to their native England, one supposes). Here, broken down and cracked, they are reunited in an old junk shop, where they discover that their story isn't over yet...

Having greatly enjoyed this author/artist's humorous Traction Man stories, beginning with Traction Man Is Here!, I was looking forward to seeing what she would do with this classic material. I was not disappointed, as Mini Grey delivers a zany, madcap adventure, one that keeps the reader on her toes as she zooms from one exciting incident to the next. The artwork is just as appealing, with whimsical little details - the gang of "sharp and shady characters" who get Dish and Spoon into trouble!, the hilarious "disguises" they use during their bank robbery - that accentuate the humor in the story. The period settings, in both the 1930s and 1950s, add to the richness of the storytelling. All in all, The Avdentures of the Dish and the Spoon is a fun fractured take on this classic nursery rhyme. I shall have to see how it stacks up again the similarly themed And the Dish Ran Away with the Spoon. show less