Funny, Funny Lyle
Common Sense Note
Bernard Waber pushes his well-known crocodile into new explorations of real-life issues in a gentle and entertaining way. The pictures are still entertaining but lack the expressiveness of illustrations from earlier entries in the series.
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Kevin McCaffrey
Written more than a decade after the previous book in the Lyle series, this book reflects changing times: door locks are now necessary, and Lyle worries about defending the house against burglary. But the warmth of the series hasn't changed.
Waber once again makes it look easy to address complicated ideas in a picture-book format. His cartoony line drawings are more colorful than ever, and filled with detail, like the pictures in the original Babar book, "The Story of Babar, the Little Elephant". And, as in the Babar series, life continues to have its ups and downs, but each new event leads to new opportunity.
This book explores, through a child's eyes, the many emotions surrounding mothers. In Lyle Finds His Mother, Lyle brought her home to the Primms's house. Now he is enjoying spending time with her and taking pride in her beauty and accomplishments. Meanwhile, his surrogate mother will soon have a baby, and Lyle anticipates his role in caring for the newborn in a way children will recognize.
The author also introduces some moral complexity. Though he practices defending the house from burglars, Lyle must deal with seeing his mother's arrest for theft, although it is clearly cultural naïveté that causes her to commit the crime. She pays her dues in a way that integrates her into society, but at the cost of losing time spent with Lyle. This strand of the story can lead to some interesting parent-child discussions.
Another picture book about shoplifting is Believing Sophie, by H. J. Hutchins.
From The Book
But to Lyle she could only be mother. Mother--the very sound of the word filled him with joy. Lyle was so proud of his mother. He was proud of her beauty and her enormous talent for making everyone smile and feel merry wherever she went.
Plot Summary:
Lyle the crocodile is happy to have his mom at home and spreading joy throughout the neighborhood. But Lyle learns that even mothers can make mistakes when she is arrested. Meanwhile, surrogate mom, Mrs. Primm, is pregnant. The addition of Lyle's mom to the series takes a surprising but interesting turn.
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ViolenceLyle deals with his mom's arrest, Mrs. Primm's pregnancy, and being brave in case there's a burglar. |
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