Pinkwater's stories are very cute, but they don't have the narrative strength of Roald Dahl or other authors in this line. They just don't hold together somehow. My thought is that they don't really seem to be stories; the author just lays out a cute scenario and an amusing chain of events, but there really isn't a struggle from Point A to Point B, a crisis, a conflict that must be resolved. This story is a prime example of the problem. It's funny, but it didn't really fulfill my expectations of a good yarn. Teachers, take note though: lower-grade students might enjoy hearing or reading this book (it wouldn't take long).

Robbie Fischer
Arizona USA

Recommended Age: 10+

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