From his first year, Ben's parents assiduously provide him with homemade Halloween costumes--clever, but usually casting him as sidekick to older brother Michael (rabbit to his magician or angel to his devil) and not always comfortable--the wooden cheese wedge (Michael is a mouse) is too heavy and the robot (paired with its scientist creator) too hot inside. Finally, at seven, Ben sensibly declares his independence and makes his own costume: he's ``an intergalactic-space-starship robotron armed with a laser-pulverizer-beam rod,'' simply and comfortably engineered from one paper bag and two paper-towel rolls. A mildly satirical story that amusingly reflects realistic child development. Meddaugh's bright, cartoony art nicely extends the action and humor. (Picture book. 3-7)
