Traction Man Meets Turbodog

I read many books, both for my kids and for my enjoyment. I have come across many amazing books, however, this is the first review I have felt the need to write. These books are excellent! Traction Man is Here and Traction Man meets Turbo Dog are my four year olds' favorite books. The imagination in these books is outstanding and encourages my son to be more creative with his toys. It is also enjoyable for me to read, which is important since I have to read them multiple times a day. I love all the clever bits that are hidden in the illustrations. We hope that there are many more Traction Man stories to come.

Traction Man is back in a sequel to TRACTION MAN IS HERE!, this offering a new set of adventures revolving around Traction Man and his pet Scrubbing Brush. This time it's up to Traction Man to save his dog from the Evil Bin Things. He must brave slimy spaghetti, potato peelings and more in the trash can to save his faithful friend in this hilarious cartoon comedy, perfect for reluctant picturebook readers.

In a world of battery operated toys, great to see a story that allows the simple household object to be the beloved toy because of imagination. A great continuation of Traction Man is Here. Fun and engaging.

My five year old son ADORES this book. We have the first book, Traction Man is Here! and couldn't wait for Mini Grey to come out with the follow up. As a parent it is fun to read - just use that comic strip narrator voice and you'll have you kids begging for you to read it again and again. I really like how the story has the boy skeptical about the fancy new toy, Turbo dog as he sets out on a quest to find his dirty but ever-faithful dog scrubbing brush. The lesson of using your imagination with found objects and not always needing the newest toy that has all the lights, bells, and whistles to provide the creativity and entertainment. My son has started using found objects around the house to recreate some of the story as well as create his own treacherous world for his "traction man" to do battle with. Also recommend Ginger Bear which is also great fun and filled with fabulous illustrations.

Like its predecessor--Traction Man Is Here!--this book is really, really funny partly because of its deadpan "show don't tell" delivery, typified by Traction Man's stoic yet somehow ironic facial expression. The Robin to Traction Man's Batman is his faithful pet Scrubbing Brush, but when Dad decides Scrubbing Brush is too dirty to keep, he doesn't bother telling his son (Traction Man's owner) about his decision. A fancy new battery-powered gizmo called Turbodog appears to replace Scrubbing Brush, but he's more hype than help. His bark really IS worse than his bite, in fact. Just where is Scrubbing Brush? wonders Traction Man. The brilliant blow-by-blow, comic strip-style descriptions of Traction Man and Scrubbing Brush's adventures are followed by the parallel, yet less successful, adventures of Traction Man and Turbodog. Ultimately, this book turns into a quest for the missing Scrubbing Brush (who manages to look like a dog while still being a scrubbing brush--yay, Mini!). I can't even begin to list the myriad little in-jokes in this book, but a couple of them are hidden under the bed and between the couch cushions. Traction Man's quest builds up to his climactic exploration of the dreaded Bin and his rescue of Scrubbing Brush. I will not recount Turbodog's fate here... Suffice it to say that the two Traction Man books are hilarious and appealing, dare I say tour de forces? (Yep, I guess I do dare!) What's more, they remind us that true play doesn't come with an instruction book. If I were in charge of the world, I'd give these books a Caldecott or two. Since I'm not, I'll settle for giving them each a Badge of Cleanness!