Retro art, inventive typography and antic wordplay mix in this bright offering. During a lesson on palindromes, Miss Sim mortifies Bob by declaiming his palindromic status. He’s then horrified to find his home brimming with the things: Mom, Dad, Anna, even tiny Nan are so afflicted. Bob bolts, then realizes “Palindromes are really just words and there’s more than one way to say any word!” Whether kids spy his surname on family portraits, or read it emblazoned across the last double spread, they’ll laugh out loud over Robert Trebor’s fresh plight. While the premise of Bob’s freak-out is slender, the text crackles with cleverly integrated palindromes. McCauley supplies dozens more on book spines and signs. Indeed, the full-bleed art, in primary colors, white and black, more than extends the text: Horizontal, double-pointed arrows recur, defining the palindrome concept and adding a graphic frenzy to already wacky compositions. En route to Jon Agee’s tours de force, don’t miss this wow of a detour. (Picture book. 5-9)
