"Oh, hello, Homer. You're just in time," said Uncle Ulysses. "I've been going over this automatic doughnut machine, oiling the machinery and cleaning the works...wonderful things, these labor-saving devices." "Yep," agreed Homer, and he picked up a cloth and started polishing the metal trimmings while Uncle Ulysses tinkered with the inside workings. "Opfwo-oof!!" sighed Uncle Ulysses, and "Look here, Homer, you've got a mechanical mind. See if you can find where these two pieces fit in."

One of Robert McCloskey's most enduring characters is HOMER PRICE, a mild-mannered, gawky youth with a regulation brush cut, who, despite his "nerdy" appearance by today's standards, still delights kids. Even with his "gee-gosh" head-scratching ways, Homer still manages to foil bank robbers (with the help of his pet skunk) and repair a doughnut machine (so well that it can't be shut off).

To connect with Homer's sense of adventure, kids can start their own "Invention Box." We recommend a homemade wooden one so the lid can double as a "destructible" work surface upon which to assemble inventions (as well as a place for little ones to perfect their hammer-and-screwdriver skills). Fill the box with unwanted "labor-saving devices" (electrical cords cut off and any hazardous parts removed), leftover nails and screws, lengths of electrical wire, old door hinges, refrigerator magnets, bent coat hangers and so on. Include a small toolbox with a selection of basic hand tools.

Older kids can take apart toasters, irons and coffeemakers to see how they work, or assemble new "thingamabobs" and "gidgets" from various parts. Add a couple of bottles of glue to the box, and let younger kids invent gizmo sculptures out of wood and metal scraps and an odd assortment of hardware. We put our heads together and made an awesome robot out of a tin can, some old metal springs and obsolete computer chips.

Homer would have loved it.