A food fight for the ages, epic in both action and laughs.
The cafeteria foods must defend the school against the conquering office supplies and their bad ruler in this series opener.
At night, all of the food and objects of Belching Walrus Elementary come to life. With the premise stated, the main trio are introduced in profiles: upbeat Slice (pizza), artistic Scoop (ice cream cone), and shy spoken-word poet/rapper Totz (a tater tot). When Baron von Lineal, both a ruler and the ruler of the office supplies, demands nightly freezer access (on account of broken air conditioning in the office), what results is an invasion and hostile takeover. The heroic protagonists set out across the school in search of allies but find most of the school denizens either apathetic or openly hostile. Even a diplomatic summit fails to unite the downtrodden against the totalitarian ruler, leaving the cafeteria crew standing alone in a full-tilt battle that takes several chapters, twists, and some quick thinking to resolve. Throughout the story, characters make time for running jokes such as a discussion about whether a hot dog is a sandwich (which manages to pay off in the main storyline). The punny humor is absolutely delicious, pitched perfectly to the target audience. Black-and-white cartoon doodle illustrations decorate chapter heads and margins, as well as showing the characters in action. The simple yet effective facial expressions, expressive motion, and stick limbs enhance the zany humor and action.
A food fight for the ages, epic in both action and laughs. (Graphic fiction. 6-10)Pub Date: Sept. 28, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-338-73035-7
Page Count: 160
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Dizzyingly silly.
The famous superhero returns to fight another villain with all the trademark wit and humor the series is known for.
Despite the title, Captain Underpants is bizarrely absent from most of this adventure. His school-age companions, George and Harold, maintain most of the spotlight. The creative chums fool around with time travel and several wacky inventions before coming upon the evil Turbo Toilet 2000, making its return for vengeance after sitting out a few of the previous books. When the good Captain shows up to save the day, he brings with him dynamic action and wordplay that meet the series’ standards. The Captain Underpants saga maintains its charm even into this, the 11th volume. The epic is filled to the brim with sight gags, toilet humor, flip-o-ramas and anarchic glee. Holding all this nonsense together is the author’s good-natured sense of harmless fun. The humor is never gross or over-the-top, just loud and innocuous. Adults may roll their eyes here and there, but youngsters will eat this up just as quickly as they devoured every other Underpants episode.
Dizzyingly silly. (Humor. 8-10)Pub Date: Aug. 26, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-545-50490-4
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: June 3, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2014
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A dramatic, educational, authentic whale of a tale.
After a tsunami devastates their habitat in the Salish Sea, a young orca and her brother embark on a remarkable adventure.
Vega’s matriarchal family expects her to become a hunter and wayfinder, with her younger brother, Deneb, protecting and supporting her. Invited to guide her family to their Gathering Place to hunt salmon, Vega’s underwater miscalculations endanger them all, and an embarrassed Vega questions whether she should be a wayfinder. When the baby sister she hoped would become her life companion is stillborn, a distraught Vega carries the baby away to a special resting place, shocking her grieving family. Dispatched to find his missing sister, Deneb locates Vega in the midst of a terrible tsunami. To escape the waters polluted by shattered boats, Vega leads Deneb into unfamiliar open sea. Alone and hungry, the young siblings encounter a spectacular giant whale and travel briefly with shark-hunting orcas. Trusting her instincts and gaining emotional strength from contemplating the vastness of the sky, Vega knows she must lead her brother home and help save her surviving family. In alternating first-person voices, Vega and Deneb tell their harrowing story, engaging young readers while educating them about the marine ecosystem. Realistic black-and-white illustrations enhance the maritime setting.
A dramatic, educational, authentic whale of a tale. (maps, wildlife facts, tribes of the Salish Sea watershed, environmental and geographical information, how to help orcas, author’s note, artist’s note, resources) (Animal fiction. 8-10)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-06-299592-6
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Review Posted Online: June 30, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2020
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