Mr. Putney has the bald pate, brushy mustache, and unsmiling stare of a stereotypical schoolteacher-the better to cast deadpan expressions at his oddball collection of animals, from an industrious "boa constructor" to a "clangaroo" that wears cymbals on its hands and feet. Agee (The Retired Kid) arranges this word game so that readers get a question and visual clues, then can identify the creature with a turn of the page. Following an image of a scaly brown critter on a nightstand ("Who wakes Mr. Putney up in the morning?"), Agee introduces the alarmadillo. When a red shellfish splashes Mr. Putney with green soup ("What do you call Mr. Putney's messy lunch companion?"), he presents the slobster. Even wordplay amateurs stand a chance of naming the title's quacking dog (a duckschund who barks-or is that buacks?-"Quarf!"). The visual contrast between the fussy-looking Mr. Putney and the various animal mutants is played up by the juxtaposition of the creatures' irreverent exclamations ("Yo!" shouts the alarmadillo) with Mr. Putney's dry delivery-"Comfy?" he asks the cramel that's shoved into his backpack. All ages. (Aug.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Orangutan Tongs: Poems to Tangle Your Tongue, 2009, etc.), Agee introduces Mr. Putney and invites readers to guess the names of his odd menagerie of animal friends in a series of 20 sly riddles. A perfect marriage of his dry, quirky humor with his signature flat illustrations in heavily outlined watercolors results in delightfully mind-stretching fun. For example, unflappable Mr. Putney looks on as a snake in a hard hat builds a hot tub. Who is he?a boa constructor, of course! While the knitting walrus may be relatively easy to guessa woolrusothers are true stumpers or laugh-out-loud ridiculous in the best sense, from the alarmadillo that wakes him in the morning to the guardvark that watches over his house at night. Get ready to ponder, giggle and fully appreciate. Sure to appeal to a wide range of agesa real end-of-summer treat. (Nonfiction. 6 up)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

K-Gr 4-Readers follow a seriously silly, mustachioed man through his everyday, yet ridiculous, encounters as he wakes with an "alarmadillo," is sheltered poorly by a "giroof," lunches with a "slobster," and hangs around 17 more play-on-words creatures. This soft-toned picture book has turn-the-page surprises so students can guess or try to make their own amazing animals. (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

In a set of twenty portmanteau puns ("Who is building Mr. Putney's hot tub? A boa constructor") we follow our hero through a single event-filled day, from waking up to the sound of his alarmadillo to checking in with his home security system, a guardvark, at day's end. The riddle pattern lends itself perfectly to page-turn suspense and wild guesses, all the wilder because the identity of the animals is not always obvious. Agee's pared-down cartoon style adds to the fun. Once we've mastered the jokes, subsequent readings allow us to contemplate Mr. Putney, a natty gentleman explorer, exponent of physical culture, kindly bachelor, and long-suffering animal-lover who might have a secret or two: "Who is snooping on Mr. Putney?" Why, a spyena, of course, in trench coat, shades, and a fedora. From HORN BOOK, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

There's no story here, just a bald-headed, high-waisted, mustached old bloke named Mr. Putney, who acts as straight man to a long string of animal-related jokes. Each right-hand page asks a question: Who does Mr. Putney like to jump through? A page turn later, we get our punny answer: An anteloop. Laughing yet? If so, then you're in luck, because Agee has come armed with 20 of these joke book-style yuks. Some you can't help but laugh at: What do you call Mr. Putney's messy lunch companion? A slobster. Others fall flat: Who is Mr. Putney trying to put on a diet? An oranguton. And others are enjoyable simply due to the ridiculousness of the invented terms anyone who isn't amused by the word frug ( What does Mr. Putney have on his floor? ) needs to loosen up. Agee's color pallette is a bit muted for the intended audience of budding wiseacres, though once the ball starts rolling, that complaint becomes irrelevant. Parents, get ready to hear these groaners again and again.--Kraus, Daniel Copyright 2010 Booklist