Doodle Flute
Kindergarten-Grade 3-- A modern-day parable about friendship and sharing. Kevin Spoon has just about everything a boy could want: his own TV, a stereo, a VCR, a computer. He even has purebred guppies. What he doesn't have is a doodle flute. Mason Mintz, the weird kid up the street, has one, but he's not willing to sell it or to trade it for any of Kevin's many possessions. He is, however, willing to give Kevin the doodle flute for nothing, something Kevin can't figure out. The message is clear: doodle flutes, like friendship, must be freely given. Short sentences are used to create a deadpan humor that should appeal to reluctant readers. "Mason Mintz. . . took something out of his back pocket. It looked dumb. 'It looks dumb,' Kevin Spoon said." Vibrant colored-marker illustrations add a zany visual humor that should attract Bart Simpson fans. Share this with hard-boiled primary graders who think they've outgrown picture books; they'll be hooked. --Ruth Smith, Chicago Public LibraryCopyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.