Toy Academy: Some Assembly Required

Children’s book newcomer Lynch, whose screenwriting credits include Minions and The Secret Life of Pets, debuts with the joke-dense story of Grumbolt, a malformed stuffed animal who heads to the eponymous academy to learn how to play. Joining him are OmniBus Squared, an arthritic Transformers-esque school bus robot, and Micro Gigantic, an enthusiastic action figure sealed in a plastic wrapper to maximize her value as a collectible. Taylor’s 1980s-retro images (not all seen by PW) are ideal for a story that lovingly pokes fun at that era’s toys (“Any child who got a Castle Fort Lair for their birthday didn’t ask for any other gifts for the next three holidays”), and Grumbolt and crew’s clashes with the forces of the Evil Toy Academy will have readers looking forward to future books. Ages 7–10. Author’s agent: Erin Malone, William Morris Endeavor. Illustrator’s agency: Bright Group. (Jan.)