Only chuzzlewits will be less than delighted.
Humbug! Not only has feline supergenius Petey escaped from prison, but an evil psychokinetic fish is raising up an army of animate apartment buildings. What the dickens is Dog Man to do?
Fictive co-authors George and Harold dish up another heap of “mirth and woe” for their dog-headed police officer—featuring, to no Pilkey fan’s surprise, slapdash plotting, sly jokes, alimentary humor, and Flip-O-Rama sequences aplenty. Actually, in a major twist, Petey the cat takes center stage thanks to Li’l Petey. This is a mini-me clone who refuses to be evil even when presented with a “supa-robot” 80-Hexotron Droidformigon wielding “80-HD Power” and who transforms Petey from supervillain to self-sacrificing parent, intoning “It is a far, far better thing I do…” in the climactic clash. Said clash is inevitable after tiny but powerful Flippy sets out for revenge with a tank of “Living Spray Gas” that converts buildings to hungry monsters capable of eating (and, it turns out, ralphing up) anything in their path. But L’il Petey saves both day and the thoroughly diverse human cast by winning over the furious fish with a homemade picture book and, with his jailbird dad (temporarily) back behind bars, ends up Dog Man’s cherished ward. Step-by-step instructions for drawing major characters and monsters, plus a tail-wagging plug for reading to canine audiences, cap a sequel that ably fulfills the 2015 opener’s great expectations.
Only chuzzlewits will be less than delighted. (Graphic science fiction. 7-10)Pub Date: Aug. 29, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-545-93521-0
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Graphix/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: June 4, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2017
SEEN & HEARD
A classic sibling rivalry tale that still satisfies to the last drop.
In this graphic novel adaptation of Davies’ 2007 book, hurt feelings propel an intense business battle.
Fourth grader Evan can’t stand the thought of his brainy younger sister, Jessie, skipping a grade and joining his class this fall. Intelligent but emotionally immature, Jessie sometimes misses social cues and wishes she could be more like the gregarious Evan. These insecurities set the stage for a contest to see who can raise the most money selling lemonade this summer. Will Jessie’s book smarts beat Evan’s people skills? The beauty of this story lies in how each sibling’s strengths rub off on the other: Evan brushes up on his math, while Jessie tentatively makes a new friend. De la Vega’s polished cartoon artwork creatively translates Davies’ metaphors to a visual medium. When the author compares the “mean words inside Evan…fighting to get out” to bats, illustrations depict the furry animals emerging from beneath his shirt; Jessie’s negative thoughts take the form of a tiny purple creature irritatingly tapping her shoulder. Tender scenes depict flashbacks of the siblings supporting each other through their parents’ divorce. The book has business savvy to match the emotional beats (each chapter opens with an entrepreneurial definition that relates to the plot), and several scenes feature math problems that readers can solve for themselves. Evan and Jessie appear white; both have friends of color.
A classic sibling rivalry tale that still satisfies to the last drop. (business tips) (Graphic fiction. 8-10)Pub Date: April 29, 2025
ISBN: 9780063310407
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A winner.
When a young girl’s imagination and creativity are co-opted by a mysterious new friend, she must find a way to regain what is rightfully hers.
Sandy is a brown-skinned, dark-haired girl with big black eyes and a vivid imagination. At night, as she goes to sleep, she catches the lights bobbing about in her room and turns them into anything she imagines. The next day is spent drawing the fantastical creatures from her dreams, much to the detriment of her schoolwork. When a tall, pale-skinned girl with purple hair befriends her, Sandy is excited, though there is something eerie and unsettling about her new companion. Her excitement soon turns to anger as Morfie enters her imaginative nighttime world and tries to take it over. Readers will cheer at the clever way in which Sandy regains control. Using a lovely palette that includes a liberal amount of rich, dark purple, Colombian-born Alvarez has drawn a world that harks back to her native Bogotá and days in Catholic school, evoking it in wonderful detail and atmosphere. Her pages are not crowded yet are filled with details that will engage readers. The beings that inhabit Sandy’s nighttime world are simply delightful. The album size, cloth spine binding, and spot gloss on the cover are the icing on the cake of this beautiful graphic novel.
A winner. (Graphic fantasy. 8-10)Pub Date: March 14, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-910620-13-7
Page Count: 56
Publisher: Nobrow Ltd.
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
