YOU ONLY SPY TWICE

Canine superspy Harrier’s latest mission gives new meaning to the term double agent.

Summoned to BARK Headquarters’ “labrador-atory” to find out who is stealing secret agency files, the dapper dog proceeds to make a bad impression…literally. A spray of windshield wiper fluid from his new spy car makes his ink run, and a second, more faded version of Harrier appears on the facing page. From there he goes on to accuse Patsy, an anthropomorphic fish colleague code-named “Red Herring,” of stealing the files, but she soon sets him straight: “Oh, sure, suspect the red herring. Typical!” A high-speed car chase pursuing Harrier’s fainter but identical self almost leads to disaster when a cannon shooting correction fluid begins painting over the duotone illustrations. That same cannon ultimately comes in handy later, though, during a climactic confrontation with the real culprits. Even young readers who aren’t familiar with “correction fluid” will be heartily amused to see characters suffering from déjà vu after finding themselves on deliberately duplicated pages and other comically surreal elements—leading to a denouement featuring villainous Doctor Doppel and the flock of offset minions she gleefully dubs her “Doppel Gäng.” (“Clever, eh?”)

Another tail-wagger featuring much graphic and typographic foolery.