Wazdot?

Young extraterrestrial Blip explores Earth with Zot, a device that identifies objects. For example, when Blip encounters a pink mud-splattered mound with a curlicue tail, Zot cautions, "Blip, stop!" "Zot, wazzzzzdot?" Blip asks. A page turn gives listeners a chance to guess: "PIG!" Blip's inexperience reflects preschoolers', and they'll get a kick out of knowing more than this blue visitor with the oversize football-shaped head.

Blip, an adventurous and curious young extraterrestrial, arrives on Earth to explore the unfamiliar (to him) terrain with Zot, a device that detects and identifies objects. For example, when Blip encounters a pink mud-splattered mound with a curlicue tail, Zot cautions, "Blip, stop!" "Zot, wazzzzzdot?" Blip asks. Zot projects a silhouette, giving listeners a chance to guess wazdot before Zot announces the results on the next spread: "PIG!" This pattern is repeated four more times (crates of "VEGETABLES!" are a challenge), with each stop revealing more about where on earth Blip is. Young children will quickly figure out he's on a farm; what gives the concept heft is the funny rhyming story that emerges. Blip's wide-open eyes and friendly smile telegraph that he comes in peace. His inexperience reflects ers', and they'll get a kick out of knowing more than this blue visitor with the oversize football-shaped head. There's an ill-fated joyride on a tractor, then a reckoning when a grown-up alien and four Blip-size pals (who first appear on the front endpapers) arrive in their own spaceships. Everyone does some chores until it's time to blast off. Only...where's Blip now? In a final endpaper spread (mostly on the left), we see Blip behind the wheel of a truck, headed off to explore a new frontier. Watch out town, here come Blip and Zot, boldly going where no alien has gone before. kitty flynn