The Cotton Candy Catastrophe at the Texas State Fair
By Dotti Enderle
Illustrated by Chuck Galey

     I have always loved tall tales because of the wonderful absurdity of them, so I suspected I would enjoy The Cotton Candy Catastrophe at the Texas State Fair -- and I did. When I read it to my daughter, she loved it, too. I think part of the allure was in the power of the young main character as he inadvertently wreaks havoc over the whole fairgrounds with his cotton candy. It's also a terrific regional story since we get wonderful peeks at the real Texas state fair -- from the 52-foot-tall cowboy, Big Tex, to the largest Ferris Wheel in America, the Texas Star. (My daughter especially giggled at the idea of Big Tex in a cotton candy tutu.) The illustrations are delightful, especially the faces of all the exhibit animals as they are tangled. My daughter's favorites were the haunted house monsters -- she feels not enough picture books manage to slip in a few monsters. If you're looking for a story to teach your child a strong moral lesson, you'll have to pass on this one -- no lessons here, just laughs. This book is just for fun, but on that note, it delivers.