A wonderful, whimsical romp for fans of this heart-filled buddy comedy.
Narwhal wildly takes Jelly’s casual question way too far in the latest installment of the fan-favorite graphic-novel series.
Narwhal always claims to be the unicorn of the sea, but do they even know what a unicorn is? Jelly wants to know, and their waffle-fueled pondering sets the stage for the deep-sea duo’s latest adventure. Narwhal insists they do know what a unicorn is (a land narwhal, of course) and enthusiastically encourages pal Jelly to meet them that night at the big beach for an out-of-this-world adventure. When Jelly arrives, Narwhal’s wild, weird surprise is that they know an actual star and some special words that grant them a very special wish—the ability to walk on land to search for a unicorn. While an excited Narwhal sprouts hair and learns to run and dance, a tired, nauseous Jelly is relegated to a fishbowl on Narwhal’s back. Though Jelly’s irritation and frustration will be apparent to readers, Narwhal does not notice. Clanton’s focus on social awareness and listening gives Narwhal an opportunity to work on some social-emotional development that will surely increase their capacity for empathy in future adventures. With splashes of new hues to the usually blue, gray, and yellow palette (added to depict some intergalactic excursions), readers will find themselves satisfied with the happy resolution and wishing for more.
A wonderful, whimsical romp for fans of this heart-filled buddy comedy. (Graphic fiction. 6-10)Pub Date: Oct. 4, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-7352-6672-8
Page Count: 80
Publisher: Tundra Books
Review Posted Online: Sept. 27, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2022
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
More trampling in the vineyards of the Literary Classics section, with results that will tickle fancies high and low.
Recasting Dog Man and his feline ward, Li’l Petey, as costumed superheroes, Pilkey looks East of Eden in this follow-up to Tale of Two Kitties (2017).
The Steinbeck novel’s Cain/Abel motif gets some play here, as Petey, “world’s evilest cat” and cloned Li’l Petey’s original, tries assiduously to tempt his angelic counterpart over to the dark side only to be met, ultimately at least, by Li’l Petey’s “Thou mayest.” (There are also occasional direct quotes from the novel.) But inner struggles between good and evil assume distinctly subordinate roles to riotous outer ones, as Petey repurposes robots built for a movie about the exploits of Dog Man—“the thinking man’s Rin Tin Tin”—while leading a general rush to the studio’s costume department for appropriate good guy/bad guy outfits in preparation for the climactic battle. During said battle and along the way Pilkey tucks in multiple Flip-O-Rama inserts as well as general gags. He lists no fewer than nine ways to ask “who cut the cheese?” and includes both punny chapter titles (“The Bark Knight Rises”) and nods to Hamiltonand Mary Poppins. The cartoon art, neatly and brightly colored by Garibaldi, is both as easy to read as the snappy dialogue and properly endowed with outsized sound effects, figures displaying a range of skin colors, and glimpses of underwear (even on robots).
More trampling in the vineyards of the Literary Classics section, with results that will tickle fancies high and low. (drawing instructions) (Graphic fantasy. 7-10)Pub Date: Dec. 26, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-545-93518-0
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Graphix/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: May 13, 2018
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