The masters of wackiness dish up a giant portion of literary and artistic wit in this saga of T the Ladderless Window-Cleaning Company. Ages 7-10. (May)

Gr 1-4 Blake's frenetic watercolors are quite appealing, but they do not redeem this slight story. A little boy wandering by a deserted old grubber (sweet shop) notices some movement within and meets the owners of the Ladderless Window-Cleaning Co. The building's new tenantsa giraffe, a pelican and a monkeyhave hardly introduced themselves to the lad when a chauffeur-driven limousine arrives to invite the glass-shining team to clean the 677 windows of the Duke's house. After demonstrating their cleaning finesse (and catching a burglar in the process), the three are rewarded with edible gifts and an invitation to live with the Duke. Young Billy receives the renovated sweet shop stocked with candies of the world, which Dahl describes in detail. The charming illustrations surrounding the verse beg to climb off of the oversize pages. Perhaps the effect would be smashing as an animated cartoon, but the minimal plot development makes this an extremely weak book. Susan Scheps, Bertram Woods Branch Library, Shaker Heights, Ohio

Richard E. Grant uses a full range of tones and tempos to create distinct voices for all the characters in this story of Billy’s encounter with the Ladderless Window-Cleaning Company. Grant's Pelly speaks with a speech impediment and a singsong rhythm; his monkey is slightly breathless, but, sadly, his giraffe does not sound female as the text clearly indicates. Grant shines when various characters sing; his portrayal of the opera star turned duchess singing about her stolen diamonds is a particular delight. Grant's straightforward narration lets Dahl's droll language and dialogue take center stage. This winning production will make the whole family smile. A.F. © AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine