Advanced Literature for Children

Review of LYLE AT THE OFFICE

Waber, Bernard. Lyle at the Office. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1994.

Rather than the better known IRA SLEEPS OVER or the first book in the Lyle series, LYLE, LYLE, CROCODILE I decided to read LYLE AT THE OFFICE.

No human child or adult is as happy or popular as Lyle, the bright green alligator with the goofy smile. He and his mother, Felicity live in a multi-storied brownstone with Mr. and Mrs. Primm and their children Joshua and Miranda. Lyle is an integral part of the family and one of baby Miranda’s first words is Lyle. One day when Lyle accompanies Mr. Primm to work life as they know it is changed! Lyle often accompanied the family to the park, to the grocery store, but never before to work. Mr. Primm is an ad man and having trouble coming up with a slogan and campaign for a new cereal modeled after Rice Krispie’s Snap Crackle Pop. The client decides that the only thing that will do is to have a photo of Lyle’s giant smile as he crunches cereal on the box cover. The Primm’s have already declined to have Lyle’s photo on a toothpaste ad and they are adamant that he is happy with his life just as it is and they want no part of him working. Lyle wants to work, after all his mom, Felicity is a nurse. Lyle’s feelings are ignored by the Primms and Mr. Bigg, Mr. Primm’s boss fires him. In the end Lyle and the family happen upon Mr. Bigg hanging from a chandelier in an old house he is restoring. Mr. Bigg implores Primm to return to work and agrees not to use Lyle in an ad campaign. Lyle is happy to be able to visit and make himself useful around the office now and again by sharpening pencils But the real winners are the children in the company day care center that had missed Lyle very much. Bright colors of city life are portrayed in a stylized and almost childish simplicity. The silly smile on Lyle’s face, the goofy expressions of the day care children and the scribbly drawings will attract attention to the artwork that goes hand and hand with the text to tell the story and to give it deeper meaning. City life is portrayed sometimes more realistic and other times more comical. The high rises on the cover are mocha and yellow. Inside the book the brownstones of East 88th Street are often pink, orange, and lime green. Just like OLD MACDONALD HAD AN APARTMENT this is a positive portrayal of city life. The theme of the art of the deal and the art of compromise are well portrayed but more than anything else this is a warm and funny book and a good addition to the Lyle, Lyle Crocodile series.