Read an Excerpt
Larryboy to the Rescue
Big Idea Books / LarryBoy
By Doug Peterson ZONDERVAN
Copyright © 2011Big Idea, Inc.
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-0-310-73858-9
Excerpt
CHAPTER 1
TORNADO ALLEY
5:15 A.M.
There was something strange in the air in Bumblyburg. Black, ragged clouds hung low over the city. The air had a greenish glow to it. Thunder rumbled across the sky. It was still very early on a Monday morning, so the streets of Bumblyburg were almost empty. In fact, only a single car moved through the downtown area. Behind the wheel of that car was Officer Olaf, making his rounds.
"Somewhere ... over the rainbow—" sang Officer Olaf in his heavy Swedish accent. He loved to belt out songs while listening to his favorite radio show—The Accordion Hit Parade, doncha know?
Perhaps if the radio had been turned down lower, he might have realized that something strange and sinister was racing up from behind.
A tornado!
Pulling up to a red stoplight, Olaf continued to cut loose in song. "We represent the lollipop kids! The lollipop kids ...!"
If the kindly policeman had just looked into his rearview mirror, he would have seen the swirling mass of black, twisting clouds slip up behind him. It was probably the only tornado in history to ever stop at a red light.
When the light turned green, Olaf finally took a quick look into his rearview mirror.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Officer Olaf made a screeching left turn. He was sure the tornado would continue to move straight. But here's the strange part ...
The tornado made a sharp left turn, too.
Officer Olaf made a right turn.
The tornado made a right turn.
Officer Olaf increased his speed by twenty miles per hour.
So did the tornado.
Left turn, right turn, left turn!
He even made a complete turnaround and caused his squad car to flip up on two wheels, causing sparks to fly. But everything that Officer Olaf tried—failed. He couldn't shake this maniac monster of a tornado. It had to be the strangest car chase ever.
Officer Olaf suddenly remembered the old safety rule: never try to outrun a tornado in your car. So he brought his squad car to a screeching halt and tried to flee on foot—or whatever it is that vegetables flee on.
"Open up! Open up!" Olaf pounded on the door to the Shave and Shine Barber Shop. He needed to find a storm cellar fast! But the shop wasn't open yet. Olaf sprinted up Bumbly Boulevard, made a quick right turn, and found himself trapped in an alley—a dead-end alley. His heart sank as he stared up at the large brick wall in front of him.
The tornado turned into the alley, moving slowly toward him—like a monster that knew its victim was trapped.
CHAPTER 2
TWISTER!
6:45 A.M.
Meanwhile, in another part of Bumblyburg ...
Larry the Cucumber loved rainy days and Mondays. Why else would he get up extra early just to play games before work?
"Left hand red, right hand green," said Archie, after twirling a spinner. Archie was Larry's trusted butler.
Larry stood on a plastic mat, which was covered with colored circles. He and Archie were beginning to play the classic game Twister. But something didn't seem quite right.
"What did you just say, Archie?" Larry asked.
"The spinner says to put your left hand on red, your right hand on green."
Larry blinked a few times. He looked down at his sides. "This isn't working, Archie."
But there was no time to think about that now.
A spotlight shot into the air, placing the
Larryboy emblem high in the dark, stormy sky.
And that meant only one thing. There was trouble in Bumblyburg.
"I still say that a pager would be an easier way to reach me," said Larry, as Archie dialed the phone to find out what was wrong in the city.
"There's a robbery in progress at Mr. Snappy's Extremely Gigantic Toy Emporium," Archie exclaimed, hanging up the phone. "Quick! Not a moment to lose!"
Faster than lightning, Larry threw on his Larryboy costume, flossed his teeth with Larryfloss, slid down the Larrypole, leaped into the Larrymobile, clicked on his Larryseatbelts, and made sure his Larrymug was secure in the cup holder.
The Larrymobile raced out into the storm.
With weather-warning sirens blaring, the streets of Bumblyburg were still deserted. The only sign of life was at Mr. Snappy's Extremely Gigantic Toy Emporium, where an armored car was parked.
Larryboy leaped out of the Larrymobile and pushed his keyless-entry remote control. "Excuse me, Larryboy. But you've just set the car to self-destruct in ten minutes," the car computer told him. (Archie had equipped the Larrymobile with a computer that could talk. Larryboy called the computer Fred.)
"Peanut brittle," said Larryboy. "Thanks for the warning, Fred." Our plunger-headed hero pushed another button on his keyless remote and the Larrymobile was instantly transformed into a boat.
"Wrong button again," said Fred. "Or were you planning a moonlit cruise down Main Street?"
"Sarcasm from a computer?" Larryboy asked.
"The wonders of technology," Fred added.
After Larryboy finally pressed the correct button, the Larrymobile switched back into a car and all of the locks clicked into place.
"Have a nice day. Be home by lunchtime," Fred told him as Larryboy bounded off.
It didn't take long for our hero to figure out what the trouble was. Somebody was stealing stuffed animals from the toy store and loading them into the armored car.
"Halt, toy napper!" declared Larryboy, as he jumped onto the roof of the armored car and struck a dramatic pose.
"Is that you, Larryboy?" came a voice from inside the armored car. Officer Olaf leaped out the side door.
"Officer Olaf?"
"Ya, it's true. You betcha, it's me," he said with a kindly twinkle in his eye.
Larryboy gave Olaf a puzzled look. "Your voice sounds a little deeper than usual."
"Just a cold," said Olaf. "It's going around, doncha know?"
Larryboy peered into the armored car, which was halfpacked with stuffed animals.
"I don't understand," Larryboy observed. "Why all the toys?"
"Oh, it's really quite simple. We've been tipped off that a master criminal is going to try to steal stuffed animals from the toy store this very day. So I'm putting them into the armored car for safekeeping."
"Good idea!" Larryboy glanced back at the store, where piles of stuffed animals were waiting to be loaded into the car—like animals about to enter the ark. "Here, let me help you!"
"Much obliged, Larryboy."
For the next ten minutes, our superhero helped the policeman load up the car. "Another good deed done," said Larryboy, feeling pleased with himself as the armored car raced away.
Unfortunately, Larryboy didn't take a good, hard look at the license plate on that armored car. If he had, maybe he would have realized that something wasn't quite right about Officer Olaf—besides his strange voice.
The license plate read FOUL PLAY.
CHAPTER 3
OLAFS ALL OVER THE PLACE
7:23 A.M.
Larryboy began the drive back to the Larrycave. But as he pulled away from the toy store, he accidentally pushed the back-seat-driver button on Fred the Computer.
"You're driving too fast!" screeched Fred. "Watch out for that fire hydrant! Slow down! Put on your Larryblinker! How about some air conditioning back here?"
It took a few minutes, but a frantic Larryboy finally figured out how to switch Fred back to normal. Even Fred seemed relieved.
"Don't ever do that
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Larryboy to the Rescue by Doug Peterson. Copyright © 2011 by Big Idea, Inc.. Excerpted by permission of ZONDERVAN.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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