IT CAME IN THE MAIL

Sending mail to…a mailbox? Clever!

Like all kids, Liam loves getting mail. Like most kids in the usual course of things, he doesn’t get any. To fix this, the freckle-faced, boot-clad tyke decides to write—not to himself (a surprise twist, though some readers will wonder why this solution doesn’t dawn on him)—but to his pitifully empty mailbox. Doing so yields much more than Liam bargained for: accompanied by rattling and mad cacophony, the mailbox produces a kindly dragon! Thrilled by this amazing result, Liam continues his very polite entreaties. And does the mailbox ever deliver for him: items beyond Liam’s wildest imaginings emerge until a literal flood makes him realize he needs to share his considerable bounty with mail-starved kids everywhere. In the end, Liam discovers sending’s better than receiving. But he does hang on to that dragon—and a horse his African-American best pal, Jamel, has taken a shine to. This cute but thin story will encourage kids to think about sharing and how to increase their own mail intake; there’s the added benefit of subtle, courteous friendly-letter–writing tips. The colored-pencil illustrations are lively, humorous, and child-appealing. Liam is white; the several depicted recipients of his largesse are nicely (and in the case of the extraterrestrial, extremely) multicultural.

Surprisingly, no snails included. Still, more fun than bills and junk mail.