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THE GLORKIAN WARRIOR EATS ADVENTURE PIE

From the Glorkian Warrior series

After successfully delivering a pizza to himself in The Glorkian Warrior Delivers a Pizza (2014), the Glorkian Warrior and...

Silliness reigns supreme as the Glorkian Warrior finds himself on another goofy illustrated adventure that revolves around food and fart jokes.

After successfully delivering a pizza to himself in The Glorkian Warrior Delivers a Pizza (2014), the Glorkian Warrior and his trusty, sunshine-hued companion, Super Backpack, are back, battling a pie-factory–destroying, candy-colored space snake only to be beaten to the kill by a rival warrior, the daffily nefarious Buster Glark, who has a freeze-ray–shooting backpack. The Glorkian Warrior returns home to lick his wounds, rearrange his furniture and recharge Backpack. There, they are greeted by Gonk, a salmon-colored minidoppelganger of the Glorkian Warrior, and the lime-green Baby Alien. When the group finally realizes that the Baby Alien has been sucking out the Warrior's brains (readers will be way ahead of them, thanks to the “suck suck” sound effects), they must help revive him with energy crackers—which are promptly stolen by Buster Glark. Madcap whimsy runs rampant, and jokes about nothing, everything and flatulence abound against a vibrantly colored backdrop that would make even Willy Wonka's eyes hurt. Kochalka's intensely zippy and quirky humor never misses a beat and rolls fluidly from one wisecrack to another; maybe this isn't everyone's brand of comedy, but for those readers who enjoy silly for silly's sake, this will surely delight.

Kooky, bubble-gum fun. (Graphic science fiction/humor. 5-10)

Pub Date: March 17, 2015

ISBN: 978-1-62672-133-3

Page Count: 128

Publisher: First Second

Review Posted Online: Jan. 9, 2015

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2015

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RESCUE ON THE OREGON TRAIL

From the Ranger in Time series , Vol. 1

This well-paced story will keep the attention of even reluctant readers with its commitment to accurately chronicling the...

This series' first entry introduces a courageous time-traveling golden retriever on the Oregon Trail.

While digging for a bone in his backyard, Ranger discovers a first-aid kit. Mysteriously imbued with time-travel properties, the kit sends Ranger back in time to Independence, Missouri—a starting point for the Oregon Trail—where Sam Abbott is searching for his little sister. Though he loves chasing squirrels too much to pass his search-and-rescue training, Ranger, who can understand human speech, doesn’t pay distractions any mind as he follows his training to find little Amelia. His heroics earn him a place with the Abbott family on their journey, and he proves himself both remarkable and useful through many crises (like a buffalo stampede, sickness and river rapids). Though Ranger grows to love the Abbotts, he’s constantly on the lookout and longing for Luke, his boy in the future. In the end, the kit takes Ranger back home, though its nature remains an enigma. The third-person narration expertly balances Ranger’s thoughts between the appropriately doglike (squirrels! bacon!) and the heroic (Ranger’s drive to find and protect).

This well-paced story will keep the attention of even reluctant readers with its commitment to accurately chronicling the excitement and danger of the Oregon Trail. Whom will Ranger save next? (Adventure. 5-9)

Pub Date: Jan. 6, 2015

ISBN: 978-0-545-63915-6

Page Count: 144

Publisher: Scholastic

Review Posted Online: Nov. 3, 2014

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2014

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DONUTS AND DANGER

From the Max Meow series , Vol. 2

Overstuffed.

Max and Mindy are back in action and must face old foes and nefarious new look-alikes.

Max Meow, feline resident of Kittyopolis, is secretly the superhero Cat Crusader, and he’s excited to no longer work solo. His BSFF (Best Science Friend Forever), brown-skinned human Mindy, has gained powers and created her own superhero persona, Science Kitty. Problem is, she puts so much pressure on herself to be perfect that she’s too scared to be a hero out in public. When havoc is wreaked at Food Fest, followed by a series of robberies, not only is the world of donut sales in peril, but the whole city is in danger. Old and new villains team up, and Cat Crusader will need Science Kitty’s skills—even if they are imperfect—in order to save the day and the donuts. This book tries to do a lot and isn’t always successful: An overabundance of plot points and characters makes it lack focus and overall cohesion. The more the story progresses, the messier and more jumbled it becomes, bogging down the pace. The lesson about the pitfalls of perfectionism does add some depth, and the brightly colored cartoon art plus the combination of silliness, science, and superpowers make this tale inviting. Fans of the first book may enjoy spending more time with these cool cats, but hopefully their next adventure will be smoother.

Overstuffed. (drawing instructions) (Graphic fantasy. 7-10)

Pub Date: April 6, 2021

ISBN: 978-0-593-12108-5

Page Count: 240

Publisher: Random House

Review Posted Online: Feb. 8, 2021

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2021

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