Talk of the Stacks: Tom Robbins

In his newest book, B Is for Beer (Ecco), Tom Robbins takes us on a beer-making journey from the barley fields to the beer garden through the eyes of five- (almost six!) year-old Gracie Perkel. Fascinated by the beverage that has captivated her father and uncle's taste buds and spurred on by a series of birthday misfortunes, Gracie's afternoon of solo chugging leads to an introduction to the Beer Fairy, who brings her through "the seam" into a parallel reality where Gracie can tour beer factories and experience, firsthand, the downside of drinking too much of the frosty stuff. Billed as both a "children's book for grown-ups" and a"grown-up book for children," B Is for Beer is full of the clever turns of phrase and rapid-fire, whimsical dialogue that we've come to expect from the man who brought us a cowgirl with an oversized thumb, Can O' Beans, and the Bandaloop Doctors.
Tue., April 28, 7 p.m., 2009