Dinkin Dings and the Frightening Things

Gr 2—4—Dinkin Dings is afraid of most things except for the ghost, the monster, and the skeleton living under his bed. Everything else-from road signs to things that rhyme-absolutely terrifies him. When a family moves in next door, Dinkin, of course, fears the worst and is certain they are zombies. Can he prove himself right and muster up the courage to save the day? This story has strong kid appeal and offbeat cartoon artwork that appears on nearly every page. The story line will definitely strike a chord with its target audience, with moments like Dinkin being afraid to take a bath or accidentally hitting the possible zombie's mom with an egg intended for the new girl. Children will enjoy the scrapes Dinkin finds himself in, and the illustrations will pull in reluctant readers.—Elizabeth Swistock, Jefferson Madison Regional Library, Charlottesville, VA