Don’t Look Now 1

Don’t be fooled by the page count—this pair of tales about an imaginative and unpopular boy named Ricky flies by, thanks to minimal text on the pages, abundant illustrations, and lots of slapstick humor. In the first story, Ricky’s dreams of popularity literally soar and plummet when he discovers he can fly, but only when no one is watching (being spotted causes him to plunge to Earth). In the second tale, Ricky’s hopes for wealth and fame lead him to try to resurrect his late grandfather’s rare and valuable black-petal poppy, a misadventure that leaves Ricky naked in a pasture, covered in cow manure. First in a four-book series, it’s a screwball blend of gross-out humor and earnest adolescent yearning, both ably captured in Weldon’s crazed b&w cartoons. Ages 7–11. (Apr.)