Synopsis
THAT SQUARE-JAWED CAN-DO action toy, Traction Man, is back in another hilarious adventure. The little boy, Traction Man, and his brave pet, Scrubbing Brush, are inseparable—until the boy’s father throws the “unhygenic” Scrubbing Brush in the trash and replaces it with a “real” toy, the battery-operated TurboDog. It bleeps, speaks, and squeaks—but is not very smart. So Traction Man, wearing his airtight Astro-suit and armed with a bottle of SuperStrong Germo, enters the trash bin and rescues Scrubbing Brush from the Evil Bin Things (pizza crusts, spaghetti, and potato peels with eyes and mouths that hiss “Stay with us”). The Battle of the Bin is not to be missed—nor is the ignominious demise of TurboDog! With this satisfying sequel, Mini Grey has scored another smashing victory for imaginative play.
Publishers Weekly
Introduced in Traction Man Is Here!Grey's much-lauded superhero is back, and his firm, square jaw shows no signs of weakening. But something's gone terribly wrong: after a dramatic climb to the top of Mt. Compost Heap, Traction Man's faithful pet, Scrubbing Brush, has disappeared (Mom and Dad-how could you?). Rescuing Scrubbing Brush will take everything Traction Man's got-as well as the help of the annoying robot Turbodog, a trio of naked fashion dolls and a big bottle of household cleaner called Germo. Grey's prose, a clever mélange of overwrought and ironic, is a joy to read aloud ("Traction Man squirts the Bin-Things with Germo and they hiss and wither"). But her real gift is in transforming an ordinary household into both thrilling stage and supporting cast (who knew an old mascara wand could be so emotive?). To create a fantasy world is one thing, but to trigger a gestalt shift in the way kids look at their own environments is quite another. A keeper. Ages 4-8. (Sept.)
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