Earth to Clunk

Gr 1—3—A school assignment pairs a disgruntled young boy with a pen pal from the planet Quazar. In an effort to discourage any communication, he proceeds to send Clunk every unwanted thing he can lay his hands on-his big sister, smelly socks, a scary picture, food gone bad, and electrical doodads that probably won't work off planet. For each package sent, the unseen Clunk sends back an equally alien and useless match, including a fuzzy, floating, animated ball called a Zoid that becomes the boy's ever-present companion. Once Mom realizes that her daughter is gone, she insists that the boy get her back, so he asks Clunk for her return. When no package arrives, he finds that he misses the interactions with his pen pal. One last package with his sister inside precipitates a final change of heart, and the boy invites his new friend for a successful sleepover. The sketchy, retro cartoonlike pen, pencil, and ink artwork can be overly busy but is still expressive, and playful enough for readers to enjoy the bad-mood boy without disliking him. Early elementary children will have an easier time understanding the concept of pen pals and unappealing assignments as well as how friendships can blossom in the most unexpected ways and places. This is science fiction with a homey touch for the youngest readers.—Marge Loch-Wouters, La Crosse Public Library, WI