Traction Man Meets Turbodog (Written and Illustrated by: Mini Grey)

Reviewed by Margo Dill, margodll@aol.com, www.margodill.com

Picture book for preK-3rd grade, fantasy/sci-fi
Traction Man, of course, with a little help from a young boy (as main characters)
Rating: What a creative, wonderful, fantastic book that celebrates imagination and good-old-fashioned playing.

Short, short, summary: Traction Man and his pet, Scrubbing Brush, are ready for an adventure in the compost pile, but boy, do they get dirty! While Traction Man (and his owner) are sleeping, his parents throw away Scrubbing Brush into the Bin. They present the boy and Traction Man with a new pet, Turbodog, but this dog doesn’t know how to be quiet or play in the sand. A search for Scrubbing Brush starts immediately, and it is soon discovered that the brush has been thrown into the Bin. Traction Man arms himself and goes into the trash to find his beloved pet and save the day!

So, what do I do with this book?

1. Traction Man Meets Turbodog reminds me of a comic book. Your students (at any age–even fourth and fifth graders) can make their own comic strip about Traction Man, Turbodog, and Scrubbing Brush. Comic strips are great for working on beginning, middle, and endings of stories, sequencing story events, dialogue, and encouraging creativity!

2. This book celebrates creativity and imagination. It reminds us of what it was like to play before video games and technology took over our lives. This kind of play does still exist. I’ve seen it with my own stepson! Ask your students to write about (or tell you about–depending on their age) their favorite toy that is NOT electronic. What do they like to play with this toy? How do they play with this toy? Students will love to write and illustrate a journal entry about their favorite toy, and they won’t realize they are practicting writing description and maybe even a personal narrative.

3. Mini Grey’s illustrations and text are full of double meanings because they bring us into the world of pretend. Discuss these illustrations with your students or your child. When Traction Man is climbing Mt. Compost Heap, what is he really climbing? What are the swampy marshes of the pond actually supposed to be? What about the sand scene? Discuss with students why Mini Grey decided to create her book this way, instead of just telling us that the boy was pretending to climb a mountain or cross a marsh. Do they think her way of writing the story makes it better or harder to understand?

For more information on this book or other children’s books, you can also check out Menasha Kids blog. If you have read Traction Man Meets Turbodog to your child or your students, please leave a comment here to tell us about it!

If you have a suggestion of a book for me to read and review, please leave a comment here or email me at margodll@aol.com.

photo by aldenchadwick www.flickr.com