This time, it’s math that’s giving Frankie fits. His teacher gives him a second chance after he spends the period doodling...
Frankie Pickle, star of previous graphic-hybrid novels, is once again in, well, a pickle.
This time, it’s math that’s giving Frankie fits. His teacher gives him a second chance after he spends the period doodling on an important math test instead of actually taking it. His parents employ a real-world approach to help their son master fractions, multiplication and word problems. Though Frankie eventually aces his test, readers are not treated to the same level of fun found in previous episodes (Frankie Pickle and the Pine Run 3000, 2000, etc.). His forays into the imaginary land of Arithmecca lack humor, and the underlying lessons are all too obvious. Perhaps the novel's problem is in its subject: The earlier topics (messy rooms, pinewood-derby racers) brimmed with comic potential, where math issues are rarely hilarious. Occasionally the humor hits its mark. The picture of a bearded Frankie in the same math class with his little sister will bring a chuckle to any child who wonders just how many grades someone could be held back in school. This hybrid story—prose when Frankie is in the real world but depicted in comic-book panels when he daydreams—still holds appeal for Frankie’s fans and new readers looking for something after their umpteenth reading of Captain Underpants.Pub Date: July 26, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-4169-8972-1
Page Count: 96
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 20, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Funny, gross, and clever but definitely not recommended for mealtime reading.
Five muco-centric graphic tales in the classic tradition of the Slimeballs and Barf-O-Rama series.
Periodically pausing to reset the mood by chewing up classic books and covering a staring storytime audience with projectile vomit, an outsized rubbery mouth spews out a set of original tales—beginning with one about a child who saves the world from being covered in green slime by loogie monsters in exchange for being appointed school principal. Later entries follow a weak-stomached Romanian vampire who immigrates to America (“Where all are created equal, and some are treated that way!”), lay out a steep cultural learning curve when young Stella’s “bio mom” is replaced by a wrapped stepmummy, show what happens when internet trolls meet real ones, and pit a pair of frustrated ghost hunters against a mob of spectral pranksters. In all of these, DeGrand shows a real talent for lavishing copious quantities of puke, snot, blood, slobber, slime, and goo into his garishly hued cartoon scenes along with endowing the popeyed nonhuman and undead cast members with warty or glutinous skin in a range of noxious shades. Humans present a diverse (and healthier looking) mix of skin colors.
Funny, gross, and clever but definitely not recommended for mealtime reading. (Graphic short stories. 7-10)Pub Date: July 25, 2023
ISBN: 9781250780805
Page Count: 224
Publisher: First Second
Review Posted Online: April 11, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2023
Charming and funny proof that friendship is the key to any hairy situation.
Ted might have a terrible nickname, but he’ll need to get over it to take on a bully, a beast, and a bad case of bedhead.
A giant raccoon is rumored to be running amok in small-town Brookside, but as fourth grade starts, Ted has bigger concerns on his mind. His best friend, Stacy, doesn’t seem to have a problem with it, but Ted’s hair is notoriously unwieldy—always has been—and one bully in particular seems to be leading the charge to make sure Ted never feels normal. The nickname Bedhead Ted catches on, and despite Stacy’s insistence that things will get better, Ted resents every strand, tress, and lock that makes him special. In this graphic novel with full-color, mixed media illustrations, Ted’s big, bright orange hair often takes center stage, but the cast of characters featuring diverse skin tones, hair, and facial features is also noteworthy. When Ted discovers surprising abilities that come with his unique hair—abilities secretly shared by his maternal grandfather and multiple generations of his family—the heroics and hijinks are both silly and exciting, breezily leading readers through both a superhero origin story and a mystery. Elastic hair with superstrength aside, Stacy and Ted’s support of one another through relatable obstacles powers this whole adventure and finally leads to answers regarding the Brookside Beast.
Charming and funny proof that friendship is the key to any hairy situation. (map) (Graphic fiction. 7-10)Pub Date: Aug. 24, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-06-294130-5
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Quill Tree Books/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: June 15, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2021
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