Billy Bloo Is Stuck in Goo

Never mind how that giant heap of green goo got there, or why little Billy Bloo ignored the sign (on the title page) that reads “Whatever you do... do not go in the goo!” Now he’s stuck and so is everyone who comes along to extract him, an oddball assemblage that ends up including “Four acrobats, the cowgirl too/ the octopus, the wizard (who/ just conjured up a talking ewe)/ the pirate, and the noble crew.” (The crew consists of a queen and 17 loyal knights.) Everyone is unwilling to give up the struggle, but even the queen can’t help wondering, “What happens if I need the loo?” Suddenly, a startled octopus inadvertently frees everyone—briefly. Burach’s (I Am Not a Chair!) loosey-goosey illustrations contrast the glistening, almost three-dimensional goo with a flattened, high-energy cartoon cast that looks as though it sprang directly from a child’s imagination. And Hamburg’s (Monkey and Duck Quack Up!) freewheeling verse—which includes lots of “goo” rhymes and direct addresses to readers—gives readers plenty to linger (and laugh) over. Ages 4–8. Author’s agent: Jennifer De Chiara, Jennifer De Chiara Literary. Illustrator’s agent: Lara Perkins, Andrea Brown Literary. (July)