Willie and Uncle Bill

PreS-K—Three separate episodes describe Willie's adventures while in his uncle's care. First, the long-haired child locks himself in the bathroom and gives himself haircut. Uncle Bill tries to make it better but soon realizes that they need professional help. So off they go to the hair salon where Willie gets a very short haircut. In the second episode, Willie and Bill make "icky stew." Bill throws everything that the boy suggests into a pot: mustard, chocolate, tuna, liverwurst, and pistachio ice cream. The result is something that neither one of them will even taste so they offer it up to everyone in the neighborhood. The only takers are the seagulls in the park. When Mom inquires what they did, they say they spent the afternoon "stewing around." The third adventure involves a nighttime visit to a garage band's rehearsal. Uncle Bill plays a set, and then Willie gleefully joins in. Then it's a race to get home before Mom. There are often four or five scenes per spread. The characters are elongated, giving a cartoon feel to the gouache and pen-and-ink illustrations. Kids will like these satisfying clandestine adventures and look forward to Uncle Bill's next visit.—Ieva Bates, Ann Arbor District Library, MI