A lively but confusing superhero adventure.
A teenage superhero investigates a series of bombs planted in his city in this children’s book.
Although mild-mannered teen Michael is frequently late for class, he values school. When he goes out at night to fight crime as Catboy, he makes sure to get home by 10:50 p.m. No narrative exposition is given for how Michael obtained his powers of superhuman smell. But living in “big bad” Las Vegas, he finds that his summer has been full of crime-fighting exploits. As school starts again, a bomb threat and a subsequent series of random explosions ensure his year will be anything but tranquil. Catboy doesn’t act alone. He works with the local police department and his FBI agent father, using his catlike sense of smell to track down a series of clues. Without apparent warning, a voice recording reveals that the Vegas bombs are being planted by an England-based ex–FBI agent who wants to rule the world as queen. Michael’s whole family abruptly travels around the world to stop her: “England is so big and wide,” a character comments. A massive, partially helicopter-based fight with unnamed assailants follows. In this action-packed tale, Tuttle offers an intriguing young superhero with amazing catlike powers. But the author veers unpredictably between first and third person and between present and past tense. In addition, the motivations of the villain and the reasoning behind the bombs in Vegas remain unclear in this short book (under 30 pages). Major plot points receive less space than casual dialogue over breakfast. Though the work appears to target children, there are no illustrations, and the small font size may discourage young readers.
A lively but confusing superhero adventure.Pub Date: Oct. 24, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-982237-41-7
Page Count: 30
Publisher: BalboaPress
Review Posted Online: March 9, 2021
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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
Trisha is ready to start at a new school, where no one will know she has dyslexia. At first, she is heartbroken to be in Miss Peterson’s special-ed class, aka, “the junkyard.” But Miss Peterson treats the children as anything but junk, showing them that everyone has a unique talent. Polacco’s trademark style is fully present here; her sensitively drawn alter ego shines with depth of feeling. When bullying occurs, Miss Peterson proves her students are worthwhile by planning a junkyard field trip, where they find valuable objects to be used in exciting ways. Trisha’s group repairs a plane, and the class buys an engine for it. Then a beloved class member dies, and the children must find a way to honor him. While the plot meanders somewhat, the characters are appealing, believable and provide a fine portrayal of a truly special class. Children will be drawn in by the story’s warmth and gentle humor and will leave with a spark of inspiration, an appreciation of individual differences and a firm anti-bullying message, all underscored by the author’s note that concludes the book. (Picture book. 7-10)
Pub Date: July 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-399-25078-1
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: May 31, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2010
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