THE BOY WHO TURNED INTO A TV SET

by Stephen Manes ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 24, 1979

His mother has been predicting it all along, and sure enough, when Ogden opens his mouth one day, out comes a deep voice saying ""We'll be back right after this important message."" And when his T-shirt begins to glow, Ogden lifts it up and discovers that ""right above his belly button was the six o'clock news in living color."" As the family's set is broken, Ogden's parents decide to take advantage of his peculiarity, and Ogden's life improves when the repairwoman helps him locate his channel selector (nose) and, better yet, his off-switch (belly button). But despite the rewards--popularity at school, a lifetime supply of marshmallow chickens won On the' quiz show ""Guess What I've Got,"" Ogden is relieved when, after a period of disuse, his switch simply fails to turn on. Dumb as it is, Ogden's predicament--with all those silly commercials inconveniently issuing forth--is good for a few giggles. Bass' ugly caricatures, however, project a harsher view of things than Manes' mild satire suggests.

Pub Date: Aug. 24, 1979

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Coward, McCann & Geoghegan

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 1979

Categories: FICTION