Children note that Lyle is powerless to avoid Valenti's scheme. "Lyle deserves a mama just like mine," one six-year-old girl wistfully sighed. Adults probably identify more with the conflict of emotions between the Primms and Valenti. In the end, who controls Lyle? Once again, Waber suggests complex issues behind his simple story.

This book was written five years after the previous book, and Waber's artistic style has evolved (as has the length of Joshua's hair). His line is more refined, filled with more detail and a diversity of color washes, but it has lost that simplicity that, in the first few books, inspired children to try their own drawings.

To watch the ever-optimistic Lyle stay focused on his mission, and not let money or fame get in the way, is to know why Lyle remains at the forefront of favorite characters in kids' books. The author doesn't hedge when it comes to integrity, friendship, and family values.

The story is immediately absorbing and compelling. Humor and warmth radiate from the pages without sentimentality, a tricky business. This book about finding a mother should sit in the pantheon of well-loved stories on this topic, among them A Mother for Choco, and Are You My Mother?