by J. Torres ; illustrated by Sean Dove ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 22, 2017
Optional.
In this frenetically paced, abundantly punny graphic novel, three robot brothers battle revamped fairy-tale tropes.
In this series’ second outing, the eponymous red, cerulean, and gray Brobots find their plans to enjoy a quaint and bucolic picnic dashed when they realize they’ve forgotten their picnic basket. While searching for their lunch, the trio wanders into the woods and finds a trail of bread crumbs that leads them to the requisite house made of sweets. This house is actually a fighting “mecha gingerbread house” operated by a nefarious purple witch. After that battle quickly resolves, they soon encounter a fearsome gang of the witch’s ninja gingerbread men (amusingly called the ninja bread men), whose “can’t catch me” taunt will also be familiar to young readers’ ears. Torres and Dove rely almost exclusively on manic action and feverishly candy-colored illustrations to propel silly, insubstantial plotting. Puns reign supreme, and every opportunity to insert “bro-” into a word or crack a joke is seized, causing the narrative to skate a fine line between delight and tedium. A crowd scene shows a woman in a hijab with her navel showing; while fleeting, the image is indicative of a certain cultural tone-deafness. For those unfamiliar with the series, this is a fine jumping-in point, however, the three robots’ names aren’t explicitly provided until the final pages, creating a disconnect for new readers.
Optional. (Graphic fantasy. 5-10)Pub Date: Aug. 22, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-62010-424-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Oni Press
Review Posted Online: May 14, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2017
Share your opinion of this book
More In The Series
More by J. Torres
BOOK REVIEW
by J. Torres ; illustrated by David Namisato
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
by J. Torres ; illustrated by Aurélie Grand
by Tedd Arnold & Martha Hamilton & Mitch Weiss ; illustrated by Tedd Arnold ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 15, 2017
Two delightfully dense heroes bring folk tales into the 21st century, and young readers are all the richer for it.
Two thickheaded macaroni noodles prove the old adage: a fool and his firewood are soon parted.
Fools have been called “noodleheads” for centuries, but until recently few have represented the term quite so literally. Mac and Mac aren’t the brightest pieces of pasta in the world, but their hearts are in the right place. Here, the two decide to help their mama out by gathering firewood in hopes that she’ll bake them a cake. As they are attempting to cut the very branch they’re sitting on, a passing meatball points out that they are mere minutes away from bruised bottoms. When his words come to pass, our heroes decide the meatball is clairvoyant and demand to know their future. Drawing on and smoothly weaving together a variety of folk tales, the brief graphic novel describes how its obtuse protagonists single-mindedly seek cake, even as they anticipate death, purchase “firewood seeds” (aka acorns), and accidentally dig their mother a garden. Emergent readers will appreciate the simple text, short chapters, and comics-inspired paneled illustrations. Adults will appreciate the authors’ note, which goes into some detail about each chapter’s folk origins.
Two delightfully dense heroes bring folk tales into the 21st century, and young readers are all the richer for it. (Graphic early reader. 5-9)Pub Date: March 15, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-8234-3673-6
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: Dec. 20, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2017
Share your opinion of this book
More by Tedd Arnold
BOOK REVIEW
by Tedd Arnold , Martha Hamilton & Mitch Weiss ; illustrated by Tedd Arnold
BOOK REVIEW
by Tedd Arnold ; illustrated by Tedd Arnold
BOOK REVIEW
by Tedd Arnold & Martha Hamilton & Mitch Weiss ; illustrated by Tedd Arnold
by Jarrett Lerner ; illustrated by Jarrett Lerner ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 26, 2021
Skip this meal.
Four foodstuff friends help a student stave off ill effects from a brushed-aside breakfast.
Snacks are absolutely not allowed in Mrs. Sternbladder’s classroom at the James H. Pinchkid Elementary School. When the four taco-ingredient Hunger Heroes—Tammy the tomato, Leonard the cheese, Mr. Toots the bean, and Chip Ninja the tortilla chip—get an alert about a student’s missed meal and his flagging energy before a big test, they immediately take to their taco hovercraft to save the day. This job won’t be easy: An autonomous vacuum, a gym full of dodgeballs, and a snack-loathing teacher all stand in their way. The first in a proposed series, this graphic hybrid is bland as white bread. All the elements are seemingly there: cute, cartoony characters, silly jokes galore, and zippily paced chapters. Unfortunately, the whole never quite equals the sum of its parts. The characterizations are thin, the resolution is quick and questionable, and many scenes feel like dreaded heavy-handed teachable moments having all the allure of a brownie made from brussels sprouts. There is little connection for its readers, who most likely will wonder why they should care about a kid (hardly more than a name and a face) who missed breakfast and why taco ingredients care so much. Humans portrayed throughout show a range of skin tones; however, there is little differentiation between adult and juvenile characters.
Skip this meal. (Graphic/fiction hybrid. 7-10)Pub Date: Oct. 26, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-5344-6282-3
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Aladdin
Review Posted Online: Sept. 14, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2021
Share your opinion of this book
More by Jarrett Lerner
BOOK REVIEW
by Jarrett Lerner ; illustrated by Jarrett Lerner
BOOK REVIEW
by Jarrett Lerner ; illustrated by Jarrett Lerner
BOOK REVIEW
by Jarrett Lerner ; illustrated by Serge Seidlitz
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Hey there, book lover.
We’re glad you found a book that interests you!
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.
Don’t fret. We’ll find you.