Earth to Clunk
-
- $7.99
-
- $7.99
Publisher Description
What do you send your alien pen pal Clunk to make it clear you do not want an alien pen pal? You send him your big sister. That'll teach Clunk to have a pen pal from Earth-or so our intrepid narrator thinks. But then Clunk sends him a Zoid, an exasperating Zoid that follows him everywhere. After swapping dirty socks, three Forps, some old lasagna, a weird glob, and a string of Christmas lights, our hero seems to be having . . . could it be . . . fun? But then: Clunk stops sending stuff. Oh no! Earth to Clunk . . . ? Is he too busy being bossed around by our hero's big sister? Will her ever send another package again? Maybe-or maybe not. More hilarious surprises await!
Deadpan comedy, vibrant artwork (a bit Calvin & Hobbes, a bit Eloise), a warm friendship theme, and an extraordinary surprise ending will have kids laughing all the way back to the first page of this sweet-in-spite-of-itself story.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
The unnamed narrator's teacher has come up with an unusual writing assignment: send a letter and "something from Earth" to an alien pen pal named Clunk. With a turn of the page, however, readers will realize that they're not dealing with a story that's entirely earthbound. The boy sends Clunk his big sister ("THAT will teach him to have a pen pal from Earth"), but Clunk refuses to take the bait, sending instead a cute, friendly, and floating puffball named Zoid who soon becomes the boy's avid companion. As the correspondence turns into a rousing game of "Can You Top This?" the narrator drops his defenses and his affection grows, culminating in an interplanetary sleepover. Smallcomb (I'm Not) and Berger (Hattie the Bad) have been better elsewhere: this story feels thrown together and skids to a halt. But they're too talented to leave readers bereft of comic pleasures. Smallcomb expertly channels a sarcastic kid who's secretly a softie, while Berger's expressive cartooning conveys the maniacal glee of a character who can't wait to one-up his frenemy. Ages 4 8.
