Toys Go Out: Being the Adventures of a Knowledgeable Stingray, a Toughy Little Buffalo, and Someone Called Plastic » (Reprint)

Emily Jenkins is the author of numerous highly acclaimed books for children, including That New Animal, a Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor recipient; Daffodil; My Favorite Thing (According to Alberta): Five Creatures, a Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor recipient, a Charlotte Zolotow Honor Book, and an American Library Association Notable; and The Secret Life of Billy's Uncle Myron. The author lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Meet Emily Jenkins and Paul O. Zelinsky as they discuss their new book Toys Go Out!

Thursday, September 14, 2006
5:00 p.m.
Books of Wonder
18 W. 18th Street, New York, NY 10011
Call (212) 989-3475 for more information.

Saturday, October 7, 2006
2:00 p.m.
Halfway Down the Stairs
114 E. Fourth Street, Rochester, MI 48307
Call (248) 652-6066 for more information.

Friday, October 13th & Saturday, October 14, 2006
Southern Festival of Books Cook Convention Center & Main Street Mall, Memphis, TN Call Humanities Tennessee at (615) 770-0006 for more information.
Visit www.tn-humanties.org/festival for the complete schedule.

Meet Caldecott Medalist Paul O. Zelinsky!

Saturday, September 30, 2006
1:30 p.m.
Baltimore Book Festival Mount Vernon Place (600 Block North Charles St.)
Visit www.baltimorebookfestival.com for more information.

Lumphy is a stuffed buffalo. StingRay is a stuffed stingray. And Plastic... well, Plastic isn't quite sure what she is. They all belong to the Little Girl who lives on the high bed with the fluffy pillows. A very nice person to belong to.

But outside of the Little Girl's room things can be confusing. Like when Lumphy gets sticky with peanut butter on a picnic, why is he called "dirty"? Or when StingRay jumps into the bathtub, what will happen to her fur? And where in the house can they find the Little Girl a birthday present that she will love the most?

Together is best for these three best friends. Together they look things up in the dictionary, explore the basement, and argue about the meaning of life. And together they face dogs, school, television commercials, the vastness of the sea and the terrifying bigness of the washing machine.

With all the appeal of a classic, here are six linked stories form Emily Jenkins, and illustrated by Caldecott winning Paul O. Zelinsky that showcase the unforgettable adventures—and misadventures— of three extraordinary friends.

Publishers Weekly

As delightfully quirky as its subtitle, "Being the Adventures of a Knowledgeable Stingray, a Toughy Little Buffalo, and Someone Called Plastic"), this buoyant chapter book relays the adventures (one per chapter) of a trio of toys. As the tale opens, Lumphy (a plush buffalo), StingRay (a stuffed fish) and Plastic (who, in a quasi-mystery plot thread, discovers that she is a rubber ball) thump along in a dark backpack. The three worry about where they might be headed ("The Girl doesn't love us and she's trying to get rid of us!")-perhaps to the vet (who will poke them "over and over with needles the size of carrots") or to the zoo (where they will have to live "each one in a separate cage")-only to find themselves at school as the Little Girl's show-and-tell. Their humorous dialogue may feel to readers much like eavesdropping on the playground (when Plastic says of dental floss, "Maybe it feels nice.... You never know until you try," Lumphy replies, "I know without trying"). The omniscient narrator also chimes in with wry comments (e.g., a description of StingRay, "who sometimes says she knows things when she doesn't"). Supporting characters include a "bumpity washing machine" named Frank, who serenades a fearful peanut-buttery Lumphy through the wash cycle, and kind TukTuk the towel who helps Plastic in his self-discovery. Zelinsky's half-tone illustrations depict the most dramatic moment in each episode from the toy's eye-view. Together, author and artist take an entertaining look at identity, friendship and belonging. Ages 7-11. (Sept.) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.