Taxicab Tales

From School Library Journal Grade 2-4-- The characters from Porte's The Take-Along Dog (Greenwillow, 1989), Abigail, Sam, and their parents, are back in another beginning chapter book. Their father, a taxi driver, entertains the family with colorful tales of the day's events and his very offbeat passengers that include a famous actress, a boy with a pet goose, a girl in search of chicken pox, and a man with a donkey head. Their mother, an artist and former cab driver, creates visual interpretations of Dad's verbal diary. Along the way, Sam and Abigail offer some of their own personal folklore. The short chapters are a concoction of reality and imagination, seasoned with both obvious and subtle humor. Although seemingly a sequel to the previous book, this title is more similar in theme and style to Porte's The Kidnapping of Aunt Elizabeth (Greenwillow, 1985; o.p.). Both are lively tributes to storytelling, memories, and the everyday incidents and experiences that make life tolerable and sometimes even a treat. Porte is an expert at creating unity from bits and pieces, half-truths, absolutes, and maybes--the stuff that real life and great stories are made of. Fans of her other works are sure to enjoy this one, as will readers of Ann Cameron's ``Julian'' series (Knopf). --Heide Piehler, Shorewood Public Library, WICopyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.