GRANDPA GAZILLION’S NUMBER YARD

Warning: Anyone dizzied by numbers will reel with vertigo in this rhyming tale of Grandpa Gazillion and his yard rat, Hildegarde, as they demonstrate that numbers ONE through TWENTY have other uses than just counting. Frenzied acrylic illustrations depict the skylarking: “If your double-humped camel annoys your backside, saddle up with a THREE for a smooth easy ride,” and a backwards THREE fits over the humps. Or, “When buried beneath mashed potatoes and chives, a FIVE is a snorkel until help arrives.” FOUR becomes a hair dryer; SIX, a scoop for eyebrows in the soup; ELEVEN, stilts to escape skunk perfume. The absurdity of the suggestions is exaggerated even more by the kooky artwork overflowing with balloon thoughts and asides, signs and more rhymes in a chaotic layout. Young kids won’t get the over-the-top, far-fetched humor of this effort or the tangramic effect of the numbers. Only for the top ten number crunchers. (Picture book. 5-7)