The Typewriter

As in Thomson’s Chalk and Fossil, a chance discovery leads children on a wild, even perilous, journey. In this case, the found object is a typewriter, discovered at a carousel that has been closed down for the winter. Typing the word “beach” instantly transports three children—an African-American girl and two boys, one white, one Asian—from their wintry surroundings to a sweeping empty beach at the height of summer. The fun of playing with a beach ball and diving into a giant sand bucket full of ice cream is interrupted when the girl uses the typewriter to summon an enormous, threatening crab. Other than the words typed by the children, the story is wordless; Thomson’s dramatic, ultra-realistic illustrations have won him many accolades, and his fans won’t be disappointed with his work here, rendered in acrylic and colored pencil. The children’s exaggerated expressions telegraph their wonder, fear, and relief when they use the typewriter to dispatch the giant crab. It’s a thrilling visual adventure and reminder of the way words can transport us—if not quite so literally. Ages 3–7. (Mar.)