Sly wit and early-1960s visuals mark Johnson's (What! Cried Granny
) tale of young Alfie. The fellow's V-shaped legs would look at home under a kidney-shaped coffee table, and his head is round as the moon, his arms curl around like ribbons and he has a wicked sense of humor—as long as the wickedness is happening to someone else. "On the way to the station, Alfie chuckled when a mean-looking dog chased the mailman down the street." The roughly inked outlines of the boy and his tweed-capped grandfather contrast with crisp blocks of computer-generated textured background that scrolls along, cartoon-style, as the two (plus Alfie's sidekick, Mr. Swiss the mouse) head for the circus. When Mr. Swiss heads for the world's largest cheese, he scares Oberon the elephant. "Oberon jumped so high he nearly hit the roof. Then Oberon began to drop... right
onto Alfie!" " 'That's not funny!!!
' said Alfie. "But actually," says the omniscient narrator primly, "it was." Kids will have a good laugh as they enjoy Alfie's discomfort, and parents will love the little commercial for the German language on the last page. "Schadenfreude
," it says. "A malicious delight in the bad luck of others." Like a brief episode from a nostalgic cartoon, Johnson's tale wraps some gentle moral prodding into a pleasing visual package. Ages 3-8. (Sept.)
