Jane Austen said that, "wit and humor are conveyed to the world in the best chosen language." Sometimes that best chosen language is a story in which young readers can recognize wacky characters in improbable settings.

Two recent novels satisfy all the criteria for humor as well as relevancy; one is based on protagonists about the same age as the intended reader, and the other is a new installment of a series that has been quite popular. Both have conflicts that will bring a giggle or two.GRANDPA PUTTER AND GRANNY HOE by Kimberly Olson Fakih. Farrar Straus and Giroux. 1992. 115 pages, $13.

Grandpa Putter and Granny Hoe (a paternal grandfather and a maternal grandmother) may be grandparents to twins, Jazz and Koo, but that's the only thing they have in common. When they are left as sitters - alternately watching the children at each house - the bickering begins. Grandpa's lavish treatment of fancy restaurants and expensive toys is protested by Grandma, who thinks her own home-cooked meals are the only fare. But this is not the only difference; their outward appearance tells it all: Grandpa's car "was long and white as a ship. The front of it looked like a wide-eyed face with a toothy smile. Inside, it was as shiny-bright and clean as Grandpa's white patent leather shoes. . . . Grandpa usually had a driver to take him places."

Grandma's truck was "dirty as farmer's boots. . . . Two American flags fluttered on either side of the fenders. A rabbit's foot dangled from the rear-view mirror. . . . In the back, bushel baskets and gardening tools were flung around like bits of Koo's puzzles."

While Grandpa's housekeeper keeps everything neat (and the children ride a pony at his stables), Grandma's chaotic hardware store is a free-for-all in dirt and debris.

During the city picnic, Grandpa and Grandma call a truce, " Just for tonight, let's not fight.' " But the agreement is only temporary, Jazz and Koo know it, the amazed people at the picnic know it and the reader knows it. In spite of the differences, the irascible grandparents may find a common ground. In the meantime, their childish behavior is funny and sounds like siblings squabbling. Young readers should recognize that!RETURN TO HOWLIDAY INN by James Howe. Atheneum. 1992, 156 pages, $13.95.

Those irresistible animal characters are at it again! Bunnicula, the vampire rabbit; Chester, the take-charge feline who reads; the shaggy-dog Harold; and Howie the puppy are carted off to Chateau-Bow-Wow, a boarding kennel

(fondly called Howliday Inn) while the Monroes go on vacation.

During the visit the animals meet Bob and Linda, aristocratic yuppie-puppies who bring along their own barbecue snacks; Felony and Miss Demeanor, cat burglars; Hamlet, a Great Dane whose fate at the kennel is tenuous; and the hymn-singing Weasel, who is cynically called a "hot dog in a fur coat."

Put all these incredible characters together in a kennel with doors that don't stay locked, then add an ominous omen and young readers have another funny story in the series to follow "Bunnicula,"

See BOOKS on C10

View Comments

"Howliday Inn," "The Celery Stalks at Midnight" and "Nighty-Nightmare." In this story there are secret codes to solve, voices coming from buried bones and the awesome veterinarian, Dr. Greenbriar, and a parrot who blabs on the comings and goings of the animals.

Howe's ability to twist a phrase into a pun is terrific, and they sometimes slip by almost undetected - such as when the animals complain about the food and say, " `It sounds like gruel and unusual punishment' " or when the Weasel is classified as " `bein' such a goody four-paws.' "

Both books are fast-paced with staccato-type dialogue in large print that will make a great read for children in the third through fifth grades.

Marilou Sorensen is an associate professor of education at the University of Utah specializing in children's literature.

Join the Conversation
Looking for comments?
Find comments in their new home! Click the buttons at the top or within the article to view them — or use the button below for quick access.