McFIG & McFLY

Drescher doesn’t quite get around to the “revenge,” but he makes good on the rest of his title in this tale of neighbors who compete in building ad hoc additions to their houses. Widowers McFig and McFly have identical cottages and are best buds, until McFly builds a tower on his roof. This prompts McFig to add a playroom to his roof, and the race is on—culminating years later in two high, tottering assemblages (largely constructed of found materials) depicted in hilariously loving detail on a humongous foldout spread. Meanwhile, their children Rosie and Anton grow up together and fall in love. Eventually McFig plunges to his death, after which McFly retires to his TV room, where he watches nature show reruns and expires from boredom. The children marry, replace their fathers’ follies with a single connected house and raise a family: “Everyone lived well and happily, and they agreed that that was enough.” Drescher’s messily energetic cartoon style underscores the parable’s sardonic tone. (Picture book. 6-8)