When Bob’s teacher tells the class about palindromes—“words that are spelled exactly the same way, forward ... and backward!”—he is embarrassed to be pointed out as a palindrome himself. And once he starts to think about it, Bob finds he’s overwhelmed by palindromes. His kayak, his race car, even his mom and dad are palindromes! He searches for reassurance in ordinary words, but fails. His sisters Nan and Anna prove to be no help at all. He even considers running away on a ship, but the available jobs involve the radar or the rotor. It’s only when he realizes that he can substitute other words for the overbearing palindromes that Bob begins to calm down. He can use his sisters’ full names, Annabelle and Nancy, and call his parents Mother and Father. And, instead of Bob, why not use his entire name? Robert Trebor! The author’s nonstop sense of fun and the illustrator’s upbeat, comic style breathe energy and interest into an unlikely topic. (Ages 5–9)