Toni's Topsy-Turvy Telephone Day

Toni has decided to have a potluck party and calls six of her good friends on the phone, to tell them what to bring. Unfortunately, they all live or work in noisy environments and can't quite hear her instructions clearly. Ruth lives near the airport and instead of punch and lemonade brings a pooch and a maid. Vera, the dogwalker can't make out steak for kabob and brings a snake and a snob instead. Fiona was supposed to supply the salad and juice, but she lives by the fire station and brought a sailor and a moose. And so on... Now Toni has even more guests than she knows what to do with, and no food for her party. Her quick thinking and noisy friends solve the problem by calling and ordering pizza, but even the pizza man can't quite hear the order correctly..... Laura Ljungkvist has written a delightful and inventive story that anyone who has ever played the game of telephone will easily identify with. Her humorous text is only outdone by her amazingly creative and innovative illustrations, full of bold colors, geometric shapes and a telephone line that literally connects the entire assemblage from the beginning of the story to the end. Perfect for youngsters 4-8, Toni's Topsy Turvy Telephone Day is a winner the entire family will enjoy and is sure to have everyone giggling and laughing every time it's read.

Laura Ljungkvist's book is a winner with both my daughter and my cat. It is a very clever and engaging story (did she think this up on her own??) but also beautifully illustrated. I like the color development from start to finish. It is a very inventive and beautiful book. Its also very funny.

Our daughter (5 years) cannot get enough of this book. She loves for us to read it out loud, and to trace the illustrations with her finger. The book is about Toni's potluck dinner party. She calls and asks her friends to bring things to her party, but every request is misunderstood and the story grows from there. The wonderful illustrations consist of a single line. The colors are spectacular.

This is book which deserves to be seen AND heard. Everyone remembers the classic game of "telephone," when a simple message whispered from one child to another gets garbled. Such is the inspiration for Laura Ljungkvist. Give a second look to her illustrations. Each twisted telephone cord curves about, making a variety of shapes. And the never-ending line connects every illustration from one page to another. This is a fascinating, fun book for ages 4-8.