Axle Annie and the Speed Grump
Kindergarten-Grade 3–This title lives up to the high standard of its predecessor,Axle Annie(Dial, 1999). Here, the good-natured and supremely competent school bus driver confronts the most dastardly and dangerous motorist in Burskyville. Rush Hotfoot is determined to get where he's going fast, faster, fastest--and he zips by Annie's bus while brushing his teeth, plucking his nose hairs, and changing out of his pajamas. As so often happens in real life, it takes a scary accident to slow him down. Still, the book's bouncy language and illustrations create a cushion around the situation, and readers are given a happy ending along with a welcome message about safe driving. Arnold's trademark pop-eyed characters and magnetic colors mask the sophistication of his enormously appealing artwork. The exuberant cartoons conspire with the outrageous prose to present a lesson in road safety that's both goofy and memorable. This offering has all the requisite qualities of a big hit.–Susan Weitz, formerly at Spencer-Van Etten School District, Spencer, NYCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.