“Rozier makes a strikingly accomplished debut; her appropriately brisk prose has the perfect blend of folksy lilt and knowing wink. Espinosa is just as successful: his crisply angular drawings, comic expressiveness, and cinematic framings bring to mind Chuck Jones’s classic ‘Dover Boys’ cartoon. It’s a terrific tall tale about the costs and opportunities of technology, and it may assuage a few parents worried about its impact on their own offspring’s future employability” —Publishers Weekly, Starred
“Readers will find that the story, written in folksy terms and rhythms, clips along at a fast pace, and the fittingly retro illustrations are filled with action, energy, and good humor. Occasional changes in typeface and size add to the excitement of the telling. The backmatter includes a helpful historical author’s note, a Morse code key, and a riddle in Morse code for readers to solve. Good, quick-moving fun. Kids may marvel that communication existed before the telephone and Internet.” —Kirkus Reviews
“In the tall-tale tradition of John Henry, McCabe engages in a man-versus-machine competition by trying to deliver a message more quickly than it can be sent by telegraph. The telegram arrives before McCabe, but this original story still ends happily. McCabe’s speedy fingers are adept with Morse code, leading to a perfect job as a telegraph operator. Using Photoshop and pencil, Espinosa creates colorful, dynamic images that burst from the page. An imaginative book design includes McCabe leaping across a two-page spread, or multiple smaller images showing rapid motion, communicating action and speed throughout.” —Booklist
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