What's inside the box?
It's a quiet morning in Mud Flat when Hobart the deliveryman delivers a large, mysterious package to Duncan's porch. With Duncan away on vacation, the neighborhood is wild with curiosity. What could be inside? is it food? Should they guard it? Can the residents of Mud Flat wait for Duncan to get home and open the box, or will their curiosity get the best of them?
Starred review from January 27, 2003
In 12 accessible chapters, brimming with Stevenson's signature pen-and-inks, the inhabitants of Mud Flat (first introduced in The Mud Flat Olympics) are determined to find out what's inside a mysterious package sitting on Duncan's porch. Ages 7-10.
August 1, 1997
PreS-Gr 2-When a package is delivered to an absent denizen of Mud Flat, his neighbors cannot contain their curiosity. In the course of their investigations, the box bursts open and a bicycle is revealed. Fortunately, the owner returns in time to claim his property before disaster strikes. The animal characters, drawn in watercolor and ink, have wonderfully expressive faces. The illustrations perfectly complement this lighthearted exploration of overwhelming curiosity-a trait young listeners will identify with. Written in 12 short chapters, the story will be great for one-on-one sharing. A welcome companion to Mud Flat Olympics (1994) and Heat Wave at Mud Flat (1997, both Greenwillow).-Lisa Smith, Lindenhurst Memorial Library, NY
September 15, 1997
Gr. 2^-4, younger for reading aloud. No one knows better than children the irresistible lure of a large package, so kids will understand perfectly why the denizens of Mud Flat must investigate the big box that's been delivered to the front porch of Duncan's house. Estelle the caterpillar wiggles in for a peek but doesn't know the name of the object; Chelsea the dog sniffs all around and decides the box smells like . . . cardboard. Short chapters, entertaining conversations, a good story that moves along quickly, and plenty of child-size humor are all punctuated by Stevenson's characteristically lively and droll watercolor-and-ink pictures. A welcome addition to a series that's just right for luring new readers into tackling something a little longer. ((Reviewed September 15, 1997))(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 1997, American Library Association.)