The Clothesline

PreS-Gr 1–Reggie and his mother live above a corner store, and when the five-year-old helps around the house, he earns a small allowance. Once he has earned some coins, he goes down the stairs and around the corner to buy some candy, tugging on a knot in the clothesline and making a pleasing “ftoiing!” sound on his way. One day, he tugs too hard and ends up stuck in the middle of the clothesline. His time spent dangling teaches Reggie a valuable lesson. Orbie’s energetic cartoon illustrations call to mind Dennis the Menace, though his dilemma on the clothesline has less to do with bad behavior and more of a mere accident. Reggie earns 30 cents for his chores, which he thinks will buy him a lot of candy at the corner store, adding slightly silly humor and evoking childlike thinking when it comes to letting go of the precious coins. Despite being somewhat lengthy for a picture book, the simple text and easy to follow graphic novel–style illustrations make this easily digestible to young readers.