Tin

Tin, a blue robot boy, is assigned to babysit his green kid sister, Nickel. Like their purple mother, the siblings are bucket-torsoed automatons with segmented arms and pincers for hands. Tin doesn't take his responsibility seriously, and when he settles down on a chaise lounge to read comics, family dog Zinc barks for attention. Nickel has climbed a tree to reach a snagged balloon, and before Tin reaches her, she sails away. This helium suspension of a metal bot requires significant suspension of disbelief (why not a wayward jetpack?). Yet if readers overlook this unimaginative development, they'll enjoy Judge's (The Lonely Beast) busy spreads of the city to which Nickel soars. Working in primary- and secondary-hued geometric shapes and layers, Judge pictures a thriving metropolis, a cluttered tickertape parade, and a zoo park. Readers can scan the spaces for Tin and the runaway toddler, who safely reunite at last. The visual puzzle's level of difficulty is more Where's Walrus? than Where's Waldo?, making this a nice diversion for the preschool set. Ages 4%E2%80%939. (Oct.)