03/01/2015
PreS-Gr 2—Shopkeeper Otis has sold his last antique when wealthy Suzie Gump enters, eager to make a purchase. Glancing around his empty store, Otis tells her he has nothing for sale. Having never owned "nothing," she literally buys it—and returns the next day for more. Conscientious Otis refuses her request, but influential Suzie's purchasing decisions starts a frenzied trend. Homeowners and shopkeepers alike begin tossing out their oh-so-yesterday's something to make room for must-have-it-today's nothing. Only the dire need of a bath towel swings the purchasing pendulum, and Suzie finds her way back to non-trend conforming Otis and his newly refurnished shop. George Newbern's narration is spot-on, and the audio evokes an old-time radio broadcast complete with tinkling door chimes and the stampede of people with money burning holes in their pockets. However, Agee's illustrations are so integral to his stories that a small bit is lost in audio alone. VERDICT Agee's satirical glimpse at modern consumerism is a must-have. Pairing the print and audio versions would provide the best of both worlds.—Cheryl Preisendorfer, Twinsburg City Schools, OH
Being a parent is often more theatrical than I expected. When my daughter was a baby with high demands for entertainment, I had to maintain a running narration of what I was doing, interspersed with various song and dance numbers, to keep her content. It was like the most boring musical ever performed as I […]