BREAKFAST AT THE LIBERTY DINER

While they wait for Uncle Angelo at the Liberty Diner, Bobby, his baby brother, George, and his mother are surprised when President Roosevelt stops in during breakfast. Kirk (Trash Trucks!, p. 723, etc.) captures the happy chaos of a restaurant packed with diners, reporters, and a busy staff: Marge the waitress barks out orders as customers come and go. In the midst of all this, Bobby orders ""wrecked cackles"" for breakfast, only to discover he's getting scrambled eggs, which he hates. He starts to pout, but everything is interrupted by the arrival of the president. A reporter thrusts George into the president's arms for a picture, but Roosevelt pulls Bobby into the picture, too. Kirk barely dabbles in the range of colorful diner vernacular and, through the presidential visit, prevents readers from understanding just how exciting an ordinary day at the diner is. Expressive, eye-catching illustrations tell the tale better than the wordy text; filled with bustling, sipping, munching, smiling people, the scenes at the Liberty Diner come alive.