Toy Academy: Some Assembly Required by Brian Lynch (review)

Misshapen, vaguely mammalian Grumbolt may be a sewing project gone awry, but he still insists he has what it takes to be a toy. He's therefore thrilled when he manages to snag a ride with an old transforming robot, the OmniBus, to the Toy Academy, where he hopes to prove himself as the number one toy and land a home with an awesome kid. He's assigned to the "Plush" category of toys, but as it turns out, he's awful at having tea parties, dressing up, and even acting as a pillow; plus, everyone keeps asking him what exactly he is, a question he's finding increasingly offensive and depressingly unanswerable. When the arms of the Toy Academy's headmaster Commander Hedgehog are stolen and a knockoff toy leads a mutiny, though, Grumbolt saves the day with his indefinability. Taylor's black and white illustrations make Grumbolt irresistibly adorable from the get-go, with his mismatched ears, nubby tail, and "quite possibly a koala nose." The personified toys are also a hoot: robot Omnibus is achy with arthritis and can't quite transform as quickly as he's used too; a salt and pepper set is attempting a second career as collectibles; and Margie the doll has the monopoly on pretty much everything. This is a nice blend of Wreck-It Ralph action with a bit of Toy Story heart, and kids still wondering what their play world looks like when they turn their backs will enjoy this creative take. KQG