The World's Toughest Book Critics ℠
 
Cover art for SQUISH, SUPER AMOEBA
Rate this book:
Loved it
Liked it
Meh...
Don't bother
Kirkus Star

SQUISH, SUPER AMOEBA

From the "Squish" series, volume 1
Age Range: 7 - 9
The hilarious misadventures of a hapless young everylad who happens to be an amoeba. Read full review
Buy this book from
Buy this book from Amazon
Buy this book from Barnes and Noble
Buy this book from IndieBound
Save for later:
Add to my list
MORE BY JENNIFER L. HOLM
Cover art for TURTLE IN PARADISE
by Jennifer L. Holm
Cover art for OUR ONLY MAY AMELIA
by Jennifer L. Holm
Cover art for BOSTON JANE
by Jennifer L. Holm
 
Similar books suggested by our critics:
Cover art for DRAGON CASTLE
by Joseph Bruchac
Cover art for THE UNFORGOTTEN COAT
by Frank Cottrell Boyce
Cover art for SMALL PERSONS WITH WINGS
by Ellen Booraem
Cover art for JEFFERSON'S SONS
by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
Cover art for EDDIE'S WAR
by Carol Fisher Saller
 
SQUISH, SUPER AMOEBA (reviewed on April 1, 2011)

The hilarious misadventures of a hapless young everylad who happens to be an amoeba.

Countering the (perceived, at least) girliness of their Babymouse series, the talented Holms turn to the microbial world for new graphic material. Like his revered comics hero, Super Amoeba, blobby Squish is determined to “do what’s right.” This turns out to be relatively easy when it’s his mooching buddy Pod suckering him into switching lunches or his relentlessly cheery classmate Peggy the paramecium (her every utterance trailed by a line of exclamation points!!!!!) begging him to come over after school to meet her new slime mold Fluffy. It's a lot harder when brutish bully Lynwood callously envelops and begins to digest the seemingly doomed Peggy for a snack. The siblings draw it Babymouse-style in thick lined cartoon panels with garish green highlights and dialogue balloons. Plenty of helpful arrows point out significant anatomical details (“Pseudopods”) or offer snarky side comments. The episode zips along to a climactic ugly (but just) surprise for Lynwood, then closes with an easily doable prank/science project involving a moistened slice of bread.

If ever a new series deserved to go viral, this one does. (Graphic novel. 7-9)


Pub Date: May 24th, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-375-84389-1
Page count: 98pp
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: April 5th, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1st, 2011