The space vistas are spectacular, if readers overlook the tedious postman in front of them.
This graphic import from Québec is science fiction for anyone who finds Star Wars too invigorating.
In the early Star Wars movies, the backgrounds were usually more interesting than what was happening in the foreground, and this graphic novel borrows the same technique. As Bob the titular postman shuttles letters from one planet to another, he’s always passing something astonishing: a world shaped like an enormous dog bone or a post-office space station shaped like a mailbox. This irritates him, because Bob likes his postal route dull and routine. Any change gives him a stomachache. Fortunately, nothing that happens here is remotely exciting, though Bob is increasingly annoyed by these mundane postal glitches. He trips in the mud or gets chased by dogs. The main exception is a lengthy parody of The Little Prince, which will be funny only to those who recognize the source. The scenes in the background, however, are stunning, with impossible, Escher-style architecture and a mail cart that hovers just above the ground. (Bob, fittingly, is a bland shade of white, but other characters have green skin or puce beaks.) The drawings are so masterful that they become a sort of understated joke. The more marvels Bob sees, the more desperate he is to end this day of mishaps. But even Bob has to pause, a few pages from the end, and admire the sheer beauty of the world outside his window.
The space vistas are spectacular, if readers overlook the tedious postman in front of them. (Graphic science fiction. 7-10)Pub Date: April 7, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-8234-4519-6
Page Count: 144
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: Feb. 8, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2020
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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