Marveltown

by Bruce McCall

Book Overview

In his first book for children, veteran illustrator Bruce McCall has crafted a tale of ingenuity and mayhem about a town founded by inventors, with pictures that pop with retro charm and crackerjack... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0374399255
• ISBN13: 9780374399252
• Release Date: September 2008
• Publisher: Farrar Straus Giroux
• Length: 32 Pages
• Weight: 1.20 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 11.1" x 11.3"
• Age Range: 5 to 8 years
• Grade Range: Preschool to Grade 3

Customer Reviews

Kids love it!

I am a school librarian. I had around 100 1st graders read a group of 25 books published within the last year. This book was voted number one!

Giant Electrohydraulic Robots!

Giant electrohydraulic robots attempt to destroy the city of the future (future circa 1956)...what else do you need? The kids are all inventors, the future tech totally retro - geeky dads will love it, and maybe it will get them to read to their kids more (hint hint moms).

Featuring a Homework Eating Robo-Dog!

The many inhabitants of Marveltown have used their inventing skills to turn their city into a futuristic wonder. From 80-mile-an-hour car washes to a milehigh fishing platform, there is plenty for everyone to enjoy the easy living technology can provide. Even the children get involved, using the resources of the Invent-O-Drome to make their own inventions, including Hypno-Goggles, a homework eating robo-dog and a Human Machine Gun (unfortunately untested due to a lack of volunteers). So when the adults create giant robots to work on the airborne Skyway, everything seems normal, until a short circuit sends the robots headed to Marveltown, ready to destroy it. After the adults flee in panic, it's up to the kids to save the day with their own inventions. McCall's illustrations are wonderfully period, creating that 1950's view of the future world in the 2000's.

If I were eight

Marveltown is beautiful to look at and filled with fun ideas.It takes me back to being a child and getting lost in the pictures in my books. I bought this for my nephew and haven't heard wether or not he likes it.If I were eight (or younger) I'd like it.

Rutgers University Project on Economics and Children

Inhabitants of Marveltown have used their extroaordinary creativity and engineering skills to develop their town into a futuristic place with the biggest, most enjoyable, and most efficient contraptions imaginable. People could drive through a special carwash at 80 miles per hour, fish from atop a mile-high tower, and turn a large area of farmland into a winter playground at the flip of a switch. The clever children learned quickly from their parents' ability to innovate, and free access to the supplies in the "Invent-o-Drome" gave the kids unrivaled opportunities to produce their own marvelous inventions. When the parents built enormous electro-hydraulic robots to take over construction of the new airborne highway, they did not realize that a small electrical mishap could turn the robots into an army of menacing monsters. Can the children save Marveltown from destruction? Bruce McCall tells a fascinating story that is centered around some important ideas in economics related to innovation and production. Namely, Marveltown's various inventions have allowed the residents to do things better and faster, enjoy new activities not imagined before, and improve their well-being. This lesson is woven into an action-packed account with intriguing illustrations. Hold onto your hats and go for an incredible ride into Marveltown.