Synopsis
What’s it like growing up in a town founded by inventors? On Saturdays, the adults open the doors of the Invent-o-Drome and give local children free rein to create whatever gadgets they can think up. Hypno-Goggles, a Rocket Chair, a homeworkeating robo-dog – the can-do kids of Marveltown are never at a loss for ideas. But when an unfortunate short circuit causes a group of giant robot workers to go berserk – and the adults flee for their lives – are the kids ready to put their know-how to the test?
In his first book for children, veteran illustrator Bruce McCall has crafted a tale of ingenuity and mayhem with pictures that pop with retro charm and crackerjack wit.
The New York Times - Steven Heller
Have you ever wondered why New Jersey's Pulaski Skyway, named after General Casimir Pulaski, is not actually hanging from the sky? Given the explicit promise of its name, it has long been a real letdown. So for anyone, like me, who has ever daydreamed about a real skyway a mile above the ground held up by "invisible ion rays," or a rocket-propelled ski jump over a large metropolis, or a Rocket Chair that could shoot you to any location if you were late, then Marveltown, as chronicled in Bruce McCall's first children's book, is the place to be.…Despite the joyful fantasy world McCall has invented, where red biplanes pull sky-skiers through the clouds, I cannot believe that 5- or 6-year-olds will totally appreciate the humor. This book is so comically sophisticated, and sprinkled with such subtle details, that younger readers are likely to find it confusing. That said, for older children the zaniness should be enthralling.