I deliberately paired Adam Raccoon and the Flying Machine (48 pages) and The Clever Carpenter (32 pages) together to read to a pair of three-year-olds one Wednesday evening. The first book brings back the popular Adam Raccoon. This time Adam is trying to build a flying machine without reading the directions. Not surprisingly, the machine has problems and Adam must start over to get it to work properly.
The second book introduces carpenter Samuel Plank who puts much thought into building something that is "just right". The townspeople, however, feel his creations just are not "proper". Who would want a dresser where the drawers are shaped like shirts or pants or socks? This all changes when retired sea captain, Captain Custard, asks Samuel to build him a new house and Samuel builds a house-ship!
Which book did the children like best? Both had loveable characters and charming illustrations, but it was The Clever Carpenter that won their hearts. They liked the out-of-the box thinking of Samuel Plank much better than the book encouraging them to follow directions. (Of course, that didn't prevent them from asking for more Adam Raccoon the next week!)
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