7. The House on East 88th Street

The House on East 88th Street. Bernard Waber. 1962. 48 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: This is the house. The house on East 88th Street. It is empty now, but it won't be for long. Strange sounds come from the house. Can you hear them? Listen: Swish, swash, splash, swoosh...

Premise/plot: The Primm family is moving into the house on East 88th Street. [Mr. and Mrs. Primm and their son, Joshua]. What should they discover in their house???? Lyle, Lyle crocodile! Though the family is at first a bit shocked and confused, it's soon the new normal. OF COURSE the crocodile belongs there! Of course, he's just going to fit right in--not only with them as a family, but with the whole neighborhood, the city. 

This is the origin story of Lyle, Lyle Crocodile. We meet Hector P. Valenti who seems to come and go in Lyle's life. In this first story, after making great friends with the Primm family, he is rushed away by Valenti...but the life of fame is not agreeable....not really. 

My thoughts: I recently watched the film Lyle, Lyle Crocodile. I had not--to my recollection--read any of the Lyle books growing up. [Though it's entirely possible that I had them read to me at a young age--from the library--and have just forgotten.] I would say the movie blends the plot of House on East 88th Street and Lyle, Lyle Crocodile. It also connects the dots and fills in the blank. The picture books do not necessarily start at the beginning of Lyle's story. It begins with the Primm family moving in. The movie is all Lyle's story. 

I enjoyed this one very much. I especially loved the art.

 

© 2023 Becky Laney of Young Readers