From Publishers Weekly
Arkin (The Lemming Condition) offers a pressure-cooker comedy about the dangers of indecision and greed. Molly's Grampa suggests a trip to Flekman's, "the biggest toy store in the world." It's a fabulous idea, except for the catch: " 'Maybe I'll get some toys there,' said Molly. 'Maybe you'll get one toy there,' said Grampa." Molly pretends to accept this bargain, and the two soon stroll into showrooms teeming with games, dolls and other enticements. As Grampa fiercely sticks to his one-present limit, Molly devises wily strategies: she outfits one teddy bear with a host of auxiliary toys, requests one bag packed with playthings and finally decides she'd like Flekman's itself ("It's one thing, isn't it?"). Grampa finally loses his cool (in the neurotic fashion of most Alan Arkin movie roles). Meanwhile, Molly succumbs to a rare case of "Flekmanitis"Amore like Flekmanic-depressionAthat leaves her alternately berserk and stupefied. Caldecott winner Egielski (Hey, Al; Buz) punctuates the hectic narrative pace with mannerly vignettes and just a sprinkling of full-throttle action sequences. But the overflowing words often crowd the pictures off the pages; the illustrations get smaller as the tension rises. Even for satire, this humor has an unpleasant edgeAMolly's behavior is more embarrassing than amusing. The denouement, in which Molly settles on a washcloth, feels medicinal, and the finale, in which Molly's ingenuity with the washcloth lands her a job at Flekman's, seems an attempt to scare up a happy ending. Ages 5-8. (May)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 2-A well-meaning grandfather takes his granddaughter to Flekman's, a wonderland of a toy store, with the agreement that she may select one toy. Overwhelmed and overstimulated, she is wracked by indecision while her grandfather becomes increasingly impatient. Matters spiral out of control until a completely obsessed Molly announces that she will only be satisfied with Flekman's in its entirety as a gift. When her grandfather refuses, Molly begins swinging from the light fixtures, and only the police and firemen are able to extricate her. The doctor is summoned, and he pronounces that she is suffering from "Flekman's fever," which can be cured only by warm milk and separation from all toys. In the denouement, Molly discovers that even a simple washcloth can serve as a delightful plaything, and the store manager is so taken with the washcloth concept that he hires Molly on as "head of the idea department." There is a certain illogic to the child being employed by the store only minutes after she has been instructed to avoid toys altogether. Additionally, the text is overly long, with small pictures arranged around it. The sense of the toy store's grand scale is lost because there are so few large illustrations. Molly's experience is funny, appealing, and nearly a universal one among young children. The story, however, suffers in its execution both visually and textually.
Rosalyn Pierini, San Luis Obispo City-County Library, CA Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
