DOTTY INVENTIONS: And Some Real Ones Too

"Dotty" has double meaning—a youthful inventor's moniker and the adjective to describe her inventions—in this energetic if slightly discombobulated picture book. Professor Dotty Dabble can claim credit for a string of gadgets that never quite caught on, voice-activated socks and nasal-floss among them. But when notice of an inventor's contest arrives, she cluelessly wonders which of her ideas will bag the grand prize. Luckily her faithful companion, a robot named Digby, is on hand to help. Via Digby's database, readers view intriguing thumbnail histories of real-life inventions such as the ballpoint pen, windshield wipers and Velcro.

McGough's (Until I Met Dudley ) text is initially hard to follow, due to a jumpy rhythm and a narrative that zips from one vignette to the next, but it gains more solid footing as it proceeds. Throughout, Swain (Alberto the Dancing Alligator ) brings to life Dotty's fanciful, well-meaning ideas in watercolor-and-colored-pencil compositions with a wry, comic spark. Smallish panels offer a fun glimpse into the invention process, both real and imaginary. The final revelation—that Digby is not what he seems—contributes a fitting last laugh for on-the-ball kids. Ages 4-8. (May)