This story is just so utterly bland.  A short beginning chapter book, obviously intended for early readers, it’s got nothing about it to convince kids that reading is a worthwhile pursuit, worth their efforts to learn and their time to indulge in.  It tells the story of a young boy who is with his friend along the river one day when they discover a statue which comes to life and asks their help in finding his way to the city to be reunited with his statue girl-friend.  Along the way they meet some bullies on the subway, who get put in their place by the magic statue’s power to freeze them.  There’s just no character development to make the reader care about what’s happening.  It’s not bad. It’s just blah.  But it does have a sturdy binding.