Not a total hairball, but far from a first purr-chase.
Mr. Puffball’s done with being a stunt cat…what’s next for him?
Mr. Puffball came to Hollywood in Stunt Cat to the Stars (2015) to be like his idol, El Gato, and ended up being El Gato’s stunt cat. Now he’s tired of being set on fire and nearly breaking every bone in his body, so he and El Gato have decided to make a buddy picture—they just have to sell it to the suits. Ever unreliable, El Gato leaves Mr. Puffball to pitch their idea, Mac & Cheesy’s Excellent Adventure, alone. It doesn’t matter; the suits like the idea of a buddy pic—but they want Jude Claw and Benedict Cumbercat to star instead of our heroes. The duo has one chance: to make a buddy picture demo reel that is better than Claw and Cumbercat’s. Good thing they have their Hollywood friends to help them out. They embark on a cross-country trek, joining Cirque du Soleil in Las Vegas, bungee jumping at the Hoover Dam, and leaping over the Grand Canyon (kind of), among other stunts…but someone seems to be sabotaging their efforts. As in the series opener, Lombardo’s second effort is full of spot comics and illustrations, but in this outing, most if not all of the jokes should be accessible to the target audience. That said, the cat puns and slapstick are not as funny as they want to be, and there are few surprises (or laughs). (Final art and aftermatter not seen.)
Not a total hairball, but far from a first purr-chase. (Graphic/fantasy hybrid. 7-11)Pub Date: Sept. 27, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-06-232068-1
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Katherine Tegen/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 31, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
We challenge anyone to read this and keep a straight face.
Four misunderstood villains endeavor to turn over a new leaf…or a new rap sheet in Blabey's frenzied romp.
As readers open the first page of this early chapter book, Mr. Wolf is right there to greet them, bemoaning his reputation. "Just because I've got BIG POINTY TEETH and RAZOR-SHARP CLAWS and I occasionally like to dress up like an OLD LADY, that doesn't mean… / … I'm a BAD GUY." To prove this very fact, Mr. Wolf enlists three equally slandered friends into the Good Guys Club: Mr. Snake (aka the Chicken Swallower), Mr. Piranha (aka the Butt Biter), and Mr. Shark (aka Jaws). After some convincing from Mr. Wolf, the foursome sets off determined to un-smirch their names (and reluctantly curbing their appetites). Although these predators find that not everyone is ready to be at the receiving end of their helpful efforts, they use all their Bad Guy know-how to manage a few hilarious good deeds. Blabey has hit the proverbial nail on the head, kissed it full on the mouth, and handed it a stick of Acme dynamite. With illustrations that startle in their manic comedy and deadpan direct address and with a narrative that follows four endearingly sardonic characters trying to push past (sometimes successfully) their fear-causing natures, this book instantly joins the classic ranks of Captain Underpants and The Stinky Cheese Man.
We challenge anyone to read this and keep a straight face. (Fiction. 7-11)Pub Date: Jan. 3, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-545-91240-2
Page Count: 144
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Sept. 18, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An endearing, deeply moving story of healing.
A runaway former shelter dog and an orphaned cheetah cub bond in friendship.
Chase the cheetah cub, grieving for her mother, is nurtured and bottle-fed by zoo employee Basma Abdallah. Finnegan the dog, injured by a fox after being chased off by his angry former owner, is found and cared for by Basma’s partner, Ryan. Warga’s gentle tale of animal comradeship focuses firmly on the experiences of each animal protagonist, letting their personalities inform the story. Finnegan’s memories of his previous home are tinged with internalized guilt after being labeled a “bad dog.” He’s amusingly food-focused and knows a bit about the world from watching television and seeing pictures in books. He dislikes cats and has opinions about rabbits and squirrels. When Basma brings Finnegan with her to work at the zoo, he overcomes his feline aversions and warms to the cub, finding her puffy baby fur and clumsiness appealing. The friendship between the creatures is warmly empathetic. Finnegan takes a benign, big-brotherly role, encouraging Chase to trust Basma’s clicker training, part of a demonstration for zoo audiences to support the Cheetah Conservation Fund. Chase, in her turn, reminds Finnegan that he’s cared for and that she’s his friend and part of his family. To’s soft, tender black-and-white illustrations perfectly complement the sweet, sometimes heart-wrenching narrative. Basma is cued Palestinian American, and Ryan reads white.
An endearing, deeply moving story of healing. (animal facts, author’s note, resources) (Fiction. 7-11)Pub Date: March 3, 2026
ISBN: 9781250387189
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Review Posted Online: Nov. 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2026
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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