SPECTACLES

Chester Filbert, to whom nothing ever happens (On My Block), has a friend named Iris Fogel to whom all sorts of surprising things happen: a fire-breathing dragon turns into Greataunt Fanny (juxtaposed against house, pine tree and path): a giant pigmy nuthatch becomes Chester himself (muffled and on skis, juxtaposed against two passing cars); a fuzzy green caterpillar ("'Where?' the teacher shrieked") is Iris' class lined up in little chairs. So it goes until mother takes her to a blue elephant who says—"Iris needs glasses!" After the climax is no anticlimax, and youngsters, nearsighted or not, will be laughing up to the last page. You'll be tempted to take off your glasses too-Spectacles shouldn't be missed.