The Time Warp Trio is back--and back in time, living it up in the Wild West. But the West isn't quite what Sam, Joe, and Fred expected. "Can't find anything that mixes adventure, comedy, and a tad of hocus-pocus? Never fear, the Time Warp Trio has arrived".--Booklist. Illustrated.
The third field trip of the Time Warp Trio lands them in the heart of the Old West. Far from enjoying the pulsating adventure of TV westerns, however, Fred, Sam and Joe suffer the dust-choked, mosquito-infested monotony of a cattle drive--until the Indians show up. Once again the threesome utilizes a bit of 20th-century cunning to save their hides and outwit their opponents. Scieszka's zany sarcasm sets a lively pace and offers up subtle parodies of popular western stereotypes. (This time, the Indians get to be the good guys.) Despite some clever wordplay, the story lacks the inventiveness and high-pitched excitement of the trio's previous adventures. Nonetheless, these collaborators' fans will no doubt gobble up this latest time-travel installment as they eagerly await the next one. Smith's black-and-white illustrations possess his characteristic brio--a double-page spread of a cattle stampede is particularly flashy. Ages 8-12. (May) Copyright 1992 Cahners Business Information.
Gr 2-5-- This third book in the series moves at the same breakneck pace set in Knights of the Kitchen Table and The Not-So-Jolly Roger (both Viking, 1991). The title of the new book brings back memories of the classic ``Spaghetti Western,'' The Good, the Bad , and the Ugly . There are similarities beyond the titles. Scieszka's book also includes an ample dose of humor, a lively pace, and on-target dialogue. A spell, accidentally cast, transports Joe, Fred, and Sam back to the Chisholm Trail of 1868. > They narrowly escape two stampedes, a flash flood, being scalped by Cheyenne braves, and a charge of the Seventh Cavalry lead by Lieutenant (soon to be General) Custer. Sam's knowledge, `` `magic . . . picked up in a book,' '' and a Time Freezer spell save the day and return the trio to the present. Smith's typically zany pencil and charcoal drawings heighten the drama and enhance the wacky mood of the story. It seems that while Joe's magic book remains in the possession of the Time Warp Trio, wild adventures are bound to reoccur and please readers. Great fun!-- Gale W. Sherman, Pocatello Public Library, ID Copyright 1992 Cahners Business Information.
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