In the Bathroom

December 1, 2002
Gr 2-4-It's one cliff-hanger after another when Andrew shrinks himself, his cousin, and his robot into specks smaller than dust. Their protection within a bubble is threatened time and again as the dog on whom they landed gets dragged into the bathtub. All kinds of gooey gross things come their way, from mold to spiders to dog doo. Greenburg works a little biology into the adventure, but basically this story relies on panic and slime. The expected ending never arrives; in its place is an announcement that Andrew's adventure continues in the next installment. Palen's black-and-white illustrations underscore the exaggerated sense of alarm. They also demonstrate the threat that the littlest living thing can be to people who have shrunk so completely. Purchase this book if you have fans of the first title or reluctant readers craving more stink and slime.-Pat Leach, Lincoln City Libraries, NE

Copyright 2002 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2003
In this ongoing saga, still-shrunken Andrew, his cousin, and his robot, Thudd, fear being washed down the bathtub drain; meanwhile, Thudd spouts facts about soap bubbles, spiders, and slime. Although some readers may appreciate the marriage of science with gross-out humor, the plot is weak, and fans will have to consult the sequel to learn Andrew's fate. Black-and-white cartoons accompany the text.

(Copyright 2003 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)