Description:
"OK, so I'm Uncle Blubbafink. Hello already." Gruff introduction aside, you'll soon find yourself glad you met this strange, suspendered, striped-schnozzed creature with a funny-sounding name. Not only does "your old Uncle Blub" have all sorts of seriously ridiculous stories ("millions of 'em," in fact), but they're all true. Would he make them up? "Of course not... I like you too much." Before you can even catch your breath, Blub launches into four true (or at least truly peculiar) stories, starting with how he and Abraham Sandwich used to surf together back in '67, only to find themselves lunch-less after George Washing Machine ("a funny little guy who looked like a washing machine with skinny legs") chopped down all of Abraham's ham trees ("that's the kinda guy he was"). After that comes the story of a young volcano raised by squawking chickens, then the tale of Dave the dragon whose head turned into a station wagon, and finally the truth behind how cows completely mowed down the moon. ("Cows. They're so weird.") "Renowned intellectual and former javelin thrower" Keith Graves certainly sets his own style (presumably due to some sort of radioactive spider bite or military brain-wave experiment), but fans of Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith's The Stinky Cheese Man and similar stories will be pleased with what they find here, both in storytelling and illustration method. Whether it's a tiny dragon shaving-cream can or a jubilant dance circle of goofy-walking chickens (plus one buck-toothed volcano), you just know that Graves is onto--or at least on--something. (Ages 9 to 12) --Paul Hughes
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