From School Library Journal
Grade 2–4—The perils of competition are at the heart of this quirky tale, which introduces Mr. McFig (and his daughter, Rosie) and Mr. McFly (and his son, Anton). What begins as a friendship between the next-door neighbors quickly escalates into a building frenzy as each man attempts to outdo the other. Through the years, the houses are topped off ever more peculiarly—with additions such as a bungee-jumping platform (McFly) and a rooftop tennis court (McFig). Meanwhile, Rosie and Anton, frustrated with their fathers' silly, myopic ambitions, fall in love. This does not deter their fathers, however, who continue their unending rivalry. Then one day, while finishing his fish-bone-and-garbage-can weather vane, McFig slips to his death ("splat!"); McFly, now having lost all motivation, soon dies of boredom. Anton and Rosie dismantle the towering appendages, reconfigure the houses into one cozy home, marry, and live happily ever after, giving credence to the subtitle. Drescher achieves balance to this outlandish story by swathing his pages in creamy aqua and rosy hues, and using his recognizable rough-line drawings to delineate the characters and buildings. The story's focus, of course, is the ever-growing construction: a middle-of-the-book spread is particularly eye-catching as it opens out in four directions, giving readers a chance to ferret out the oddities of the two architectural structures. For readers who enjoy the offbeat, this story is sure to generate a laugh.—
Barbara Elleman, Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, Amherst, MA Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Drescher brings his infectious, off-kilter sensibility to the ultimate tale of keeping up with the Joneses. McFig and his daughter, Rosie, enjoy an idyllic life in a quaint cottage. When McFly and his son, Anton, buy the property next door, they are so taken with the cottage that they replicate it, board for board. At first all is well. The McFigs pitch in, and soon the families enjoy a happy, parallel existence. But when McFly gets up one day and adds a tower to his cottage, the blissful balance is upset. An all-out battle of architectural one-upsmanship ensues, culminating in a pop-up, fold-out display wherein McFig falls to his demise. McFly, consumed by grief and boredom, follows shortly. The promised, happy ending sees Rosie and Anton recognizing the error of their fathers’ ways, and building their houses, and their lives together. With an ironic narrative decorated with sketchy, effervescent pastels, Drescher eschews heavy moralizing, offering a building battle and bucolic denouement imbued with topsy-turvy charm. Grades K-3. --Thom Barthelmess
