"Towers, in fact, were
just as delicious as bridges!
Perhaps even more so!
Why, only a small
amount of chewing ...
...could easily cause
an entire tower to fall ..."
It takes a mean and nasty bridge troll, some apparently voracious termites, and a gullible community to bring this story to readers who love tales of adventure and comeuppance. Puddletrunk is a town with a big problem; a bridge across the chasm that keeps them from reaching land on the other side has collapsed for the 271st time. Everyone is quick to blame termites, as they have every other time. That is the truth according to Mortimer Gulch anyway. Each time it happens, Mr. Gulch goes to the good townspeople for the money needed for reconstruction. They offer cash and jewelry, with nary a question about bad luck.
This time there is a visitor in town. He is a repairman meant to fix the town clock. When asked for financial support, he refuses. Instead, he will fix the clock at no charge. The work begins on the bridge, while the visitor works on the clock. When the townsfolk run out of wood, Mr. Gulch goes to the 'new' man for help. Again, the repairman refuses, citing his worry that the termites might choose it to satisfy their needs on the clock tower. They are at a standoff.
Mr. Gulch does as he has ever done; he chews through the wood at the clock tower's base. It crashes with a huge noise, destroying the unfinished bridge. Angry, the townspeople bring the 'new in town' man to Mr. Gulch. The repairman has quite the surprise in store for him. Young readers will thoroughly enjoy a much-appreciated conclusion to this humorous tale.
The design for this tricky tale is absolutely fascinating, start to finish. Kevin Cornell fills the pages with witty details that are sure to have readers returning for another look ... and often. There is so much to see, and to appreciate about every page turn. I could go on and on, but you should see it for yourself, and for your kids' sake.
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