Looking for Bobowicz

Author: Daniel Pinkwater

Illustrator: Jill Pinkwater

Nick’s parents moved the family from the suburbs to Hoboken so Nick could get the “urban experience” while growing up. I’m not sure he got the life of an average city kid, but her certainly got an experience! He’s really not thrilled about the cramped housing, oppressive heat, and rapid theft of his bike, not thrilled at all. Then he meets two kids who live in the building next door–Loretta Fischetti and Bruno Ugg–who are unusual but nice, plus they share his passion for Classics Comics. Along with his new friends, Nick encounters a mysterious phantom, adults who keep secrets, talkative hobos, pirate radio, and a newspaper story about a rampaging giant chicken . . . a giant chicken that might still be in town.

I love Daniel Pinkwater’s writing–I never know what weird direction it’s going to go in next! Looking for Bobowicz is this off-the-wall kids adventure comedy that is wonderful in its zaniness and unpredictability. The story and characters are great–in an extremely quirky sort of way. But I think it’s all the odd, random details that absolutely make the book. As tall tales go, Looking for Bobowicz is certainly a fantastic one–much along the lines of his Adventures of a Cat-Whiskered Girl, although perhaps slightly less philosophical, maybe. His wife’s black-and-white illustrations are the perfect off-beat match to the story. Highly recommended, if you don’t mind going with the flow.