The Stopwatch

A stopwatch from Grandma prompts Tom to run his life with precision: he dashes home in three minutes and 32 seconds; he eats a snack in two minutes and six seconds; he's in and out of the bathtub in one minute and 43 seconds; and he stands on his head for 11 seconds. When the stopwatch appears lost, Tom searches for it (for who knows how long?). His sister Jan has been timing her own activities and that causes a fight. But a surprise ending proves that with a stopwatch, even sibling rivalry has its limits. Lloyd's telling is straightforward, but Tom's frenetic pace provides much humor. Dale adds her own comic subplot with the help of rubber ducks and teddy bears; they respond to the human drama as it unfolds like clockwork. (3-7)