It Came in the Mail

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY MAR 21, 2016

Liam, a wide-eyed, freckle-faced kid with brushy hair, wishes for more mail. He writes a letter to his mailbox: "I would like to get something in the mail. Something big! Please! Love, Liam." The results are spectacular. "When Liam looked inside, he was met by a blast of fire. A dragon had come in the mail!" That might have satisfied some children, but Liam wants more, and he gets it, as a fountain of odd objects and cheerful creatures erupts from his mailbox (some with their own in-jokes, like the snail who says, "Je m'appelle Wes Cargo!"). Clanton's story shapes up like a Sorcerer's Apprentice type tale that will end badly, but Liam generously distributes his mailbox wealth to other children, who are delighted. In keeping with the postal theme, Clanton (Something Extraordinary) draws on postcards, envelopes, and writing paper, his big-eyed, amiable creatures assuring readers that everything's under control. In this genial twist on a fable of greed, Liam receives everything he wants and becomes a better person for it and he gets to keep his dragon, too. Ages 4 8.