BINKY TO THE RESCUE by Ashley Spires (Comic)

A Book Review by Lenny

(with a little help from Norman)

Bigfoot asked me to help Lenny with his first book review. He’s going to review the second Binky book, BINKY TO THE RESCUE by Ashley Spires (Kids Can Press, 2010). The first Binky book is BINKY THE SPACE CAT (Kids Can Press, 2009). I gave Lenny both my Binky books. I knew he’d like them because he likes comics and he loves—

LENNY: Norman! Look at me! I can do a somersault in the air!

NORMAN: That’s nice. Come down now. It’s time to do your book review.

LENNY: I can’t. I’m busy.

NORMAN: Doing what?

LENNY: Breaking my levitating record.

NORMAN: You know you’re not allowed to go higher than that tree. Not that one. You know which tree.

LENNY: Guess what I can see from here?

NORMAN: No. Get down here right now.

LENNY: Beverly, Penny, and Briar are on the beach. They’re doing the Hokey Pokey.

NORMAN: No, they’re not. Cut it out.

LENNY: Beverly’s out of the game. She was supposed to put her whole self in, but she only did half.

NORMAN: Ha, ha, Mr. Funny. Get down here. This won’t take long.

LENNY: No.

NORMAN: Bigfoot said if you reviewed a book he’d take you to the park.

LENNY: I don’t like the park.

NORMAN: Oh, yeah? Since when?

LENNY: Since today.

NORMAN: If you don’t come down right now, I’m going to tell everybody your secret.

LENNY: Don’t! You promised!

NORMAN: I won’t, if you come down right now.

LENNY: Okay.

NORMAN: Watch where you land! I’m not all shell, you know. Finally. Now tell me why you like BINKY TO THE RESCUE so much.

LENNY: I don’t. I hate it.

NORMAN: What are you talking about? You begged me to let you keep it.

LENNY: It’s about a cat.

NORMAN: So what?

LENNY: I’m a dog.

NORMAN: Dogs are allowed to like cat books.

LENNY: They are?

NORMAN: Of course. Most dogs love books about cats.

LENNY: I didn’t know that.

NORMAN: Sure.

LENNY: Oh.

NORMAN: So, you like the book?

LENNY: Yes.

NORMAN: And why do you like it?

LENNY: I just do.

NORMAN: Which parts do you like?

LENNY: All the parts.

NORMAN: Which parts specifically do you like?

LENNY: What’s spacifackly mean?

NORMAN: Forget it. I’ve got a better idea. Why don’t you write a letter to Binky and tell him why you like his book?

LENNY: Binky’s just pretend. He can’t read a letter.

NORMAN: No, but you can write one. Please. For me?

LENNY: If you promise not to tell my secret.

NORMAN: I promise.

LENNY: Okay. I’ll write a letter to Binky.

Dear Binky,

How are you? I read both your books. BINKY THE SPACE CAT makes me laugh. You become a space cat. You get confused and think that bugs are aliens. What do they taste like? You are wrong about your backyard. That’s not outer space. That’s your backyard. Outer space is up by the moon. I know why you are confused. House cats don’t ever get to go outside. That’s why you don’t know any better. That’s why you are scared of birds. You built the best rocket. I didn’t know cats have secret places in their litter boxes to build things.

I like BINKY TO THE RESCUE, too. There’s a page at the beginning, before the story. It has lots of real small words about driver’s licenses or something and also the name of the author who made you up and drew you. On that page it says that wasps don’t want anybody to read BINKY TO THE RESCUE. The wasps don’t like being the bad guys in the book. But I got stung once, so I know wasps are bad. That’s why I read the book even though the wasps didn't want me to.

This time you go into outer space. It’s still just your backyard. Your best friend Ted gets left behind on your mission, right under a wasps’ nest. You think the wasps are aliens, but they're just bugs with stingers. You have to figure out how to get Ted back. You are confused about Ted. He's not a real copilot. He’s a stuffed animal. But that’s okay. I like Ted. You have some good ideas about how to save Ted. They don’t all work, but they are funny.

Maybe you don't get confused. Maybe you just have a good imagination. Or you do get confused. It doesn't matter. You are funny.

I know Violet and Oliver will like BINKY TO THE RESCUE. I’m not sure I will let them read it, though. Oliver bends pages and Violet might not give it back.

Goodbye now.

Lenny

P.S.

I have a secret. I like cats. If you get to be a real cat someday, I will be your friend. I will help you eat aliens even if they are really just bugs. And I will help you save Ted even though he is a toy and not a real copilot. When you get to be real check one of these so I will know if you want to be my friend:

____I will be your friend

____I hate dogs

P.S. again

Please don’t tell anyone I like cats.

P.S. one more time

I hope you have more adventures. I like you.

NORMAN: Lenny, look out! It's a wasp!

LENNY: Where? Don't let him get me!

NORMAN: There! Coming down the path!

LENNY: That's not a wasp, Mr. Funny. That's just Morzant.

NORMAN: He'd make a nice Thanksgiving feast for Binky, wouldn't he?

LENNY: Norman! Binky only eats bad aliens that are really bugs.

NORMAN: You're right. I forgot.