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The Fantastic 5 & 10¢ Store

A Rebus Adventure
by J. Patrick Lewis
40p. 978-0-37585-878-9.
COPY ISBN
K-Gr 3—In this whimsical and inventive picture book, Lewis expertly uses basic rebuses to tell a tale about a 5 & 10 cent store that, forgotten by the residents of the city, contains many treasures. Benny Penny discovers it and witnesses flying toasters, marching playing cards, and a race between a pot and a teapot. The child helps the owners, Mr. Nickel and Mrs. Dime, attract new customers and by the end of the book the townspeople have become regular customers of the special store. Lewis combines text and symbols to create a rhyming narrative, which helps aid in deciphering the rebuses. Children who like wordplay will especially enjoy this unique book. Fisher's mixed-media illustrations add to the intrigue and are ideally matched for the text. Vintage newspaper ads lend a touch of nostalgia and the rebus symbols and typeface are reminiscent of bygone eras. Readers who are unable to decipher the rebuses will be happy to discover the full text at the end of the book.—Shawn Brommer, South Central Library System, Madison, WI
Venturing into the new five-and-dime store, Benny discovers some highly unusual merchandise: a flying toaster, sword-wielding clock, etc. To help attract customers, he suggests some sparkly star decorations. Though the story--told with a blend of rebuses and text--isn't particularly meaty, young readers will enjoy decoding the puzzles. A couple of the mixed-media illustrations have too-blurry backgrounds, but the wacky wares grab attention.
Reviewed by Shawn Brommer , May 01, 2011

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