Around the Clock!

K-Gr 3—New Yorker cartoonist Chast presents a zany, hour-by-hour look at the activities of 23 different kids. A simple sentence in verse describes each child ("From 8 to 9, please observe Ricky:/Why does his toothpaste taste so icky?"), but the off-the-wall mayhem of Chast's illustrations is what makes this quirky offering stand out. Some of the antics are downright odd ("From 11 to 12, though no one can see him,/Dave is planning a sock museum"), while others are more conventional ("From 2 to 3, Ian's in school./Long division can be so cruel."). However, the manic, bug-eyed expressions of the children and humorously bizarre details in the spreads (Steve setting the table for his mother—with a saw, scissors, and a hammer) infuse each of the examples with a surreal tone. Wild, frantic, even neurotic, these caricaturelike figures aren't typical picture book fare, but they'll elicit more than a few laughs. Riffing on Maurice Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are, the conclusion loops back to the first verse in a sly twist that readers young and old will appreciate. Though nothing here is inappropriate, a sophisticated, even adult sense of humor runs through the book. While some may find this title a bit disconcerting, most should see it as good, ridiculous fun, and future fans of alternative comic artists will eat this one right up.—Mahnaz Dar, School Library Journal