Friday, May 4, 2012

Toy Dance Party: Being the Further Adventures of a Bossypants Stringray, a Courageous Buffalo, and a Hopeful Round Someone Called Plastic



Toy Dance Party: Being the Further Adventures of a Bossypants Stringray, a Courageous Buffalo, and a Hopeful Round Someone Called Plastic (Toys Go Out #2)
Emily Jenkins, illustrated by Paul Zelinsky
Random House, 2008
$16.99, Hardcover
978-0375839351
March 7th, 2012

Genre: Fantasy
Age: 6+
Description: Once again in a variety of connected stories, we learn about the antics of Lumphy, Stingray, and Plastic. When left at home for a winter vacation, the toys stress out because they believe Girl (who they decided is named Honey because that’s what her parents call her when they wake her up in the morning) has been lost on her vacation. It seems like the family should have been home by now and they aren’t. Thus, the toys decide to launch a rescue which results in Lumphy getting stuck in the snow outside. When Honey returns how and takes Stingray to see a Daisy Sparkle movie, Stringray dresses up and demands that everyone play with her the way the movie went which causes Stingray and Lumphy to get in a fight. They are then introduced to a new toy—a rubber shark who they mistake, at first, from a stuck up shark but they eventually make friends when Bonkers the mouse gets sucked up in the vacuum and the shark helps rescue him. Plus more adventures.
Opinion: This is a classic in the making. I love how Shark is forced to play with Barbies who she calls empty headed and takes delight in chewing on them when Honey isn’t looking. Other characters have anthropomorphic features too—Frank the washing machine, Sheep who has one ear, the toy mice, Tuk-Tuk the yellow bath towel. Each character has its own personality that is well drawn—Stingray likes to pretend to know everything, Plastic is naïve, and Lumphy wants to be a brave and tough buffalo. The illustrations are sweet and give a homey, safe feel to the story. This book will get kids to wonder what their favorite toys do at night after they have gone to bed.

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