Wallace and Gromit and the Lost Slipper

The calamity-prone stars of Nick Park's Oscar-winning Claymation films continue their side-splitting adventures in this new story. It's an ordinary day for Wallace, the fastidious inventor-handyman, and his dog-companion Gromit until Wallace discovers one of his slippers is missing. He crafts a Longlife Indoor Carpet Clog with Reinforced Everything as a replacement, but it's just not very comfortable. The only solution left is to aim the grandfather clock time machine back to where the missing slipper was last sighted. Wallace and Gromit believe they've set the coordinates for earlier that morning, 11:06 a.m. But alas, they zoom off to the year 1066 and land in the middle of the Battle of Hastings. Sallis's characterization of Wallace, a lighthearted mix of determination and befuddlement with a British accent, is sure to tickle the funnybone. Fans of the films and videos will be especially pleased by this return engagement, and newcomers will be quickly charmed as well. Ages 8-up. (Jan.)