In this first book in the Good Times Travel Agency series, which depends heavily on cartoon illustrations, the Binkerton twins, Josh and Emma, and little sister Libby stumble into a peculiar travel agency. The strange owner encourages the children to peruse his dusty, old travel guides, and no sooner does Josh open a book about ancient Egypt than the three children are transported back in time. It's 2500 B.C, and they're knee-deep in the Nile, with no chance of returning home until they've read every word of the book. A variety of adventures ensues, including encounters with crocodiles, tomb robbers, and angry soldiers. Bailey delivers not only a fast-paced story but also a fun way to convey information about Egyptian lifestyles, religion, and schools, and, of course, the pyramids and mummies. The busy cartoon illustrations support both the fiction and the facts.

Opening a travel guidebook from a decrepit travel agency, three children are transported through time. Once at their destination, the children must read the entire book before they can return to their own era. Though gimmicky, this ploy is effective, partly because of the entertaining narrative and humorous cartoon-style illustrations with speech balloons, and partly because of the select, accessible information about the eras.

Gr 3-6-In these picture books, twins Josh and Emma Binkerton and their younger sister Libby are transported back in time after opening a travel guide about a specific historical period at the creepy, ramshackle Good Times Travel Agency, and the only way to get home is to read the book cover to cover. Each page features the siblings' ongoing story, cartoonlike illustrations with dialogue balloons, and yellowed guidebook pages that provide basic background information about the period. The stories are full of slapstick, but hold together well and involve readers. Though the plots are contrived to tie into the guidebooks, they don't seem forced and the flow is good. The guides are written in a breezy style, paying just enough attention to the grosser aspects of each civilization to help maintain interest. Slavin's sunny pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations are packed with details. Kids are sure to devour these lively books.-Donna L. Scanlon, Lancaster Area Library, PA Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.