The virtues of seeking and leaving one’s comfort zone are both on display during this amusing outdoor trip.
A tale of two different ideas of camping leads to an adventure full of surprises.
Wombat BFFs Albert and Pickles are headed on a camping trip. Albert is the more practical-minded and outdoorsy type, while Pickles is more about modern comforts. Their different expectations lead to some mild disagreement until Pickles stumbles across a baby koala in the woods. The wombats also come across their platypus friend Platters, who is in the woods looking for a legendary and dangerous Woolly Moon Beast. This adventure is gentle and light, both in exploring the divergent interests of its central duo and in the search for the koala’s mother. Pickles has an exaggerated, reactionary personality that will elicit the most laughs. This graphic novel is rife with humor, from Pickles’ hilariously over-the-top fear of the unknown to the baby koala’s frequent mispronunciations to characters randomly popping up out of the scenery. Layouts are clearly arranged and easy to follow. Both Albert and Pickles are winsome protagonists—mature, self-reliant Albert is clearly at home in nature, explaining how to read a compass and describing the wonders of nature, while Pickles shows a willingness to try new things despite trepidation. The protagonists respectfully acknowledge each other’s preferences and value their friendship.
The virtues of seeking and leaving one’s comfort zone are both on display during this amusing outdoor trip. (Graphic fiction. 6-9)Pub Date: April 4, 2023
ISBN: 978-0-593-46529-5
Page Count: 96
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Dec. 23, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2023
This outing lacks the sophistication of such category standards as Clementine; here’s hoping English amps things up for...
A gentle voice and familiar pitfalls characterize this tale of a boy navigating the risky road to responsibility.
Gavin is new to his neighborhood and Carver Elementary. He likes his new friend, Richard, and has a typically contentious relationship with his older sister, Danielle. When Gavin’s desire to impress Richard sets off a disastrous chain of events, the boy struggles to evade responsibility for his actions. “After all, it isn’t his fault that Danielle’s snow globe got broken. Sure, he shouldn’t have been in her room—but then, she shouldn’t be keeping candy in her room to tempt him. Anybody would be tempted. Anybody!” opines Gavin once he learns the punishment for his crime. While Gavin has a charming Everyboy quality, and his aversion to Aunt Myrtle’s yapping little dog rings true, little about Gavin distinguishes him from other trouble-prone protagonists. He is, regrettably, forgettable. Coretta Scott King Honor winner English (Francie, 1999) is a teacher whose storytelling usually benefits from her day job. Unfortunately, the pizzazz of classroom chaos is largely absent from this series opener.
This outing lacks the sophistication of such category standards as Clementine; here’s hoping English amps things up for subsequent volumes. (Fiction. 6-9)Pub Date: Dec. 17, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-547-97044-8
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 1, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
What a wag.
What do you get from sewing the head of a smart dog onto the body of a tough police officer? A new superhero from the incorrigible creator of Captain Underpants.
Finding a stack of old Dog Mancomics that got them in trouble back in first grade, George and Harold decide to craft a set of new(ish) adventures with (more or less) improved art and spelling. These begin with an origin tale (“A Hero Is Unleashed”), go on to a fiendish attempt to replace the chief of police with a “Robo Chief” and then a temporarily successful scheme to make everyone stupid by erasing all the words from every book (“Book ’Em, Dog Man”), and finish off with a sort of attempted alien invasion evocatively titled “Weenie Wars: The Franks Awaken.” In each, Dog Man squares off against baddies (including superinventor/archnemesis Petey the cat) and saves the day with a clever notion. With occasional pauses for Flip-O-Rama featurettes, the tales are all framed in brightly colored sequential panels with hand-lettered dialogue (“How do you feel, old friend?” “Ruff!”) and narrative. The figures are studiously diverse, with police officers of both genders on view and George, the chief, and several other members of the supporting cast colored in various shades of brown. Pilkey closes as customary with drawing exercises, plus a promise that the canine crusader will be further unleashed in a sequel.
What a wag. (Graphic fantasy. 7-9)Pub Date: Aug. 30, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-545-58160-8
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Graphix/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: May 31, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2016
SEEN & HEARD
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
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