Shark vs. Train

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY FEB 15, 2010

This is a genius concept the kids' equivalent of a classic guy bull session, centering on two playmates' favorite toys. So, who's better Shark or Train? That all depends. When trick-or-treating, Shark is the clear winner, thanks to his intimidating smile ( The clown is very hungry, he says, as a bowl of candy is poured into his bag). But in a marshmallow-roasting contest, Train triumphs by virtue of his built-in, coal-stoked rotisserie. Just when readers will think the scenarios can't get more absurd (bowling, a burping contest), the book moves into even funnier territory: hypotheticals in which neither comes out on top (their imposing presences make them ripe targets for getting shushed in a library, and their lack of opposable thumbs means neither is very good at video games). Lichtenheld's (Duck! Rabbit!) watercolor cartoons have a fluidity and goofy intensity that recalls Mad magazine, while Barton (The Day-Glo Brothers) gives the characters snappy dialogue throughout. That counts as a strike, right? says Shark, having eaten an entire lane of bowling pins. This is why you guys have a bad reputation, retorts Train. Ages 3 6.