block_book - Hardcover

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Kindergarten-Grade 3 --Ben and Betsy Block are wooden building blocks whose major business in life is collecting junk. While to others their finds may have little value, to them (and to a neighbor whose house burns down) their world is filled with treasures. With their surplus, Ben and Betsy rebuild the neighbor's house into an abode of marvel and much interest, perching it high in a tree. On their way home from the building site, the Blocks find new cherishables, the last of which is that traditional symbol of ultimate inclusiveness, the kitchen sink. While the idea of a world filled with others' leavings may appear trivial to sophisticated readers, to many children the concept of a world filled with objects of little apparent value but much sentiment and usefulness has much appeal. The simplicity of the rhyming text, set sparely on a page facing the illustrations, makes the text itself accessible. The crayon figures on watercolor - washed backgrounds are full of deep fantasy colors and vibrant tones, and hold much detailed, intriguing junk. The flat perspectives as well as the inventive use of the couple's finds in their home make the Blocks seem almost human while maintaining their identities as creatures of the imagination. Ultimately, the effect is a spare, compact story, tautly told in rhyme, with pictures of great interest. --Ruth K. MacDonald, Purdue University Calumet, Hammond, IN
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Pack rats everywhere will have no trouble identifying with Betsy and Ben, a pair of blocks whose home is so overflowing with found objects (from yo-yos to worn-out appliances) that they are reduced to camping out in their yard under a Valentine's Day card. Yet when a neighbor's house burns down, it's Betsy and Ben--and their junk--who come to the rescue and help him rebuild. Of course, on the way home, the compulsive blocks are sidetracked by more litter. . . . First-time author Couture's rhyming story will win both laughs and sympathy, and sharp-eyed readers will delight in some of Mathers's quirky touches, such as the beguiling block couple's wildly mismatched footwear. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.