On My Reading Radar: Traction Man and the Beach Odyssey

We are BIG Traction Man fans in this house, so when I saw this listed as a great summer read over at The Guardian, I got pretty excited. And for the record--absolutely NO need to be under 5 to enjoy it. Traction Man is the thinking person's Action Man (also known as GI Joe in this country.) And with his faithful side-kick Scrubbing Brush, he will be prepared for anything. I could not find a US release date for this title, but considering the success of the previous titles in this series, Traction Man is Here and Traction Man meets Turbo Dog, it can't be long before he arrives on our shores.

You can read my previous rhapsodizing about Traction Man here.

You Read to Me, I'll Read to You Meme week 6

I Read to NMD:
Egg Drop by Mini Grey
Stay Away From Rat Boy! by Laurie Lears, illus. by Red Hansen
Trudy by Henry Cole

NMD Read to Me:
People Magazine: Special Selena Gomez & Demi Lovato Collector's Issue

We Read Together:
Grandfather Buffalo by Jim Arnosky

Hmmm....what to make of this week's selection. A mixed bag, to say the least. I had such high hopes for Egg Drop--Traction Man is a favorite here. But upon reading this story about an impatient egg who tries to fly....well, NMD and I were both left scratching our heads. We have reasonably "quirky" senses of humor--witness the success of Dust Bunnies with NMD--but neither of us thought this one was either funny or a worth successor of Mini Grey's fantastic picture books.

Book of the week was definitely Grandfather Buffalo. You always know what you are going to get with any Jim Arnosky picture book: a fine, straightforward story with lovely nature illustrations, usually in a slightly over sized format (great for sharing!) Grandfather Buffalo is, as his name implies, an elderly buffalo, and he sometimes has trouble keeping up with the herd. But he is still a steady presence with much to teach the calves. What is particularly nice about this book is how Arnosky conveys a human, generational tale without anthropomorphizing the buffalo. It's an older book, so might require a trip to the library to locate, but worth the effort.

As for NMD's selection.......hello tween years!

Don't forget to visit The Well Read Child, sponsor of the Meme, to see what other bloggers and their children are reading.

Merchandising Opportunity for Mini Grey

Dear Ms Grey,

Have you considered releasing a Traction Man action figure? So many of our favorite picture book characters have made the successful transition to plush cuddly friend. It would hardly be a transition at all, as Traction Man is already a toy! The merchandising possibilities are endless: Traction Man and Scrubbing Brush deluxe set! Traction Man limited edition with all-in-one green knit suit! Traction Man with bottle of Germo (fill it with water for authentic spray action!) If Janeites can get a Jane Austen action figure, then TM fans deserve one too. Then there will be no stopping them, as Traction Man and Scrubbing Brush take on new adventures all over the world!

Failing that, please write a million more (or at least a good dozen) sequels chronicling the sublimely funny, forever brave, and ever ingenious Traction Man and Scrubbing Brush.

Yours, always prepared for anything,
Yankeerat and NMD

Bedtime Stories

The Story about Ping (Flack, Marjorie and Kurt Wiese)
Ballet sisters: the duckling and the swan (Ormerod, Jan)
The Adventures of the Dish and the Spoon (Grey, Mini)

"Ping" is on my daughter's summer reading list. It's a good list IMHO, because it includes newer titles alongside the classics (and I think it's fair to say that "Ping" has reached canon status.) "Adventures" merited a repeat reading. Then again, she's a huge fan of Traction Man--also by Mini Grey-- so I am not surprised she liked this one. She didn't even get many of the visual jokes (my personal favorite: the poster for "Lost Cow" attached to a lamppost 25 years after a disgraced spoon returns home from prison.)But the story struck a cord. No doubt she's gone to sleep with visions of dancing spoons and dishes.