cover image The Extra Nose

The Extra Nose

Daniel Diprima. Zino Press Children's Books, $12.95 (32pp) ISBN 978-1-55933-151-7

This odd cautionary tale, about a lad who finds a second nose, admonishes against the hazards of greed. Told in rhyme, the text apparently aims for lighthearted loopiness a la Seuss, but unfortunately comes off as just plain silly, as the young man's extra proboscis helps him sniff out not only such garden-variety scents as roses and muffins, but also such curiosities as ``a man growing a beard twelve-feet long'' and ``someone reading a very long book.'' The cartoon-like illustrations are colorful but flat, and the main character, with his flyaway hair, close-set eyes, and perpetual gee-whiz expression, is downright unappealing. The verse, moreover, is often forced (``All of these smells were making me hungry / When suddenly a new batch of smells stung me''). In the end, the young man sniffs out a sad noseless boy, but he's loathe to share his olfactory bounty, until a sneeze turns the tables on him. All in all, a disappointing fantasy. Ages 4-8. (Aug.)