Product Review

The first story is a sweet and comic piece about young Huckle's determination to get his mother the finest gift he can think of for her special day. When he and his pal Lowly Worm settle on a cuckoo clock, the problem seems to be solved. Until, that is, a run-in with (who else?) Mr. Frumble leaves the clock broken and Huckle's bike wrecked. They take both items to Mr. Fix-It, who then forgets which pieces belong to the clock and which belong to the bike. "Patrick Pig Learns to Talk" takes us out of Busy Town and into a small Irish village, where young Patrick worries his parents by not displaying the stereotypically Irish gift of gab. When three pub mates decide to help the boy out by taking him to that legendary tongue loosener, the Blarney Stone, a whole new problem is born. "Grouchy Mr. Gronkle" finds Busy Town's local Scrooge figure bellowing at Hilda for her charitable work and dealing with a crisis when Huckle and friends risk skating on Gronkle's frozen pond. --Tom Keogh