cover image All the Fun of the Fair

All the Fun of the Fair

Robert Crowther. Candlewick Press (MA), $15.95 (12pp) ISBN 978-1-56402-001-7

``Fair'' promises fun--of which this lackluster book, unfortunately, is in short supply. Youngsters will expect more from the talented creator of the inventive Most Amazing books; this plotless excursion disappoints on several fronts. First of all, the subtitle misleads: virtually all of the paper engineering here is limited to rudimentary pull-tabs and revolving wheels. Also, in a book with no narrative thread, the illustrations must perforce become the focus--but the intricate artwork is on such a tiny scale that neither the fair's attractions nor the human figures command attention. Dialogue balloons sprinkled throughout the six spreads add nothing; they seem, in fact, like tacked-on afterthoughts. A missed opportunity. Ages 4-up. (Apr.)