Traction Man Meets Turbo Dog

Starred review from August 4, 2008
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.

Starred review from August 1, 2008
PreS-Gr 3-The ruggedly handsome action figure introduced in "Traction Man Is Here!" (Knopf, 2005) has returned, accompanied by his faithful pet, Scrubbing Brush. In high-energy, mixed-media panels and full-bleed spreads, the hero and his sidekick ascend a compost heap and pass through the "ring of Mystic Shrooms," directed by a Yoda-like potato: "Bow low you must." On their return to civilization, Scrubbing Brush is sucked into the muddy quagmire near the backyard pond. While the dynamic duo's owner is resting, his father does what well-meaning parents doreplaces the filthy brush with the shiny new plastic Turbodog. Soon enough boy and man tire of the flashing wannabe pet. Hearing cries from the "Underworld of the [Trash] Bin," Traction Man dons his Astro-Suit and arms himself with a spray bottle of SuperStrong Germo. After a successful mission and a good, long soak, all of the characters share a candlelit campfire, complete with marshmallows, courtesy of Dad. Grey is clearly in tune with the fun to be had with an alter ego and a pile of dirt, a mountain of laundry, and the "Grand Sofa Canyon." Her inventive scenes celebrate the joy in equipping a doll for adventure and re-envisioning the everyday. The perspectives shift in order to give readers a bird's-eye view of the boy and the terrain of his yard or close-ups of the imagined world. Brimming with tongue-in-cheek humor, delicious language, and ideas sure to propel viewers to their toy boxes, Grey proves that one doesn't need batteries to have a rollicking good time."Wendy Lukehart, Washington DC Public Library"

Copyright 2008 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from September 1, 2008
In this sequel to Traction Man Is Here (2005), the boy who plays with his action figure Traction Man receives a present: Turbodog, advertised as Traction Mans Faithful New Companion, a battery-run, robotic dog that speaks the same two phrases over and over. Traction Man already has a sidekick, a trusty scrubbing brush that accompanies him on his adventures, even venturing up smelly Mt. Compost Heap and across the swampy marshes in the backyard. When Scrubbing Brush goes missing (the boys father finds the brush extremely unhygienic), Turbodogs deficiencies soon become apparent. Greys colorful, imaginative paintings offer more than a reflection of the text. Beyond the narrative and illustration of Traction Mans adventures, observant children will sense the boys consciousness in guiding his play and, beyond that, his fathers interference at one point and unspoken apology at another. Children can enjoy the book as a good adventure reflecting the way they play, while those who put the visual clues together will also see real-world cause and effect in the boys make-believe alternative world. Parents can infer the relative values of imagination versuscleanliness in their childrens lives. Created with wit and finesse, this picture book is fun for reading aloud and rewarding on many levels.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2008, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2009
After ascending Mt. Compost Heap, Scrubbing Brush is tossed into the trash by a conniving villain. Our hero Traction Man (Traction Man Is Here!) is stuck instead with new sidekick Turbodog, whose outbursts don't lend themselves to stealth. Grey extends the first book's irreverent wit and affection for its characters, as the cartoon art follows Traction Man on his quirky expeditions.

(Copyright 2009 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

Starred review from September 1, 2008
Every hero needs a sidekick. For Traction Man, the intrepid action figure first seen in Grey's marvelous Traction Man Is Here! (rev. 3/05), that role goes to faithful canine stand-in Scrubbing Brush. But Scrubbing Brush looks less than hygienic these days, especially after his ascent of Mt. Compost Heap. A conniving villain (a.k.a. Traction Man's young owner's dad) covertly tosses him in the trash, proffering a robotic replacement made from "indestructible purple plastic." Grey extends the first book's irreverent wit and affection for its characters in this playful demonstration of why high-tech doesn't necessarily equal high-performance. The cartoon art follows Traction Man on quirky expeditions, such as "creeping oh-so-quietly through the underpants to photograph the sleeping [cat]." This is work for which Scrubbing Brush, still MIA, is well suited, but our hero is stuck instead with Turbodog, whose Tourette's-like outbursts -- "Stop intruder! I will be your pet!" -- don't lend themselves to stealth. Of course, in the end, man and brush reunite, while the hapless Turbodog tries to keep up with them in the "Steaming Tropical Waters of the Tub." With a not-so-innocent nudge from Scrubbing Brush, Turbodog "dives" off the SS Sponge, only to prove that "water and electricity don't mix."

(Copyright 2008 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)