THE MAYOR OF CENTRAL PARK

Fans of Avi's Dimwood Forest titles will delight in taking a new trip, this time to New York's Central Park. Baseball, gang intrigue, and a love affair interweave as the rats move uptown and upset the equilibrium of the established animal community. Oscar Westerwit, the squirrel who has long held the mayorship, young Maud, Big Daddy Duds, and members of the local baseball teams, scheme, mince, and bumble their way into young listeners' hearts. Avi's playful references to turn-of-the-century New York will intrigue older listeners. Mark Nelson balances all the balls well--the tongue-in-cheek humor, the New York accents, the alliteration and word play, the pacing, and the myriad characters. He voices a conniving rat boss, a "sees-all" barmaid, and a "my-son-never-listens-to-me" mother. All the while, Oscar remains fresh and convincing. A.R. (c) AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine [Published: OCT/ NOV 04]