Hits smack on the funny bone.
The exciting adventures of a boy and his talking elbow.
Taking a daffy premise and running with it in notably surreal directions, Kochalka’s episodic comic features a very serious boy (“I wear a tie. See?”), an elbow that develops a mind of its own following a painful bump, breakfast cereal superhero Soupy Boy Action Man, and a toy truck that is evil…or maybe not. “I’m more like the true ESSENCE of your elbow,” explains the disembodied joint, floating in front of the bewildered lad’s face. “My punches are action packed. America is so proud of me,” boasts the plastic action figure. “HONK HONK,” beeps the truck enigmatically. A few freakouts at home and school, followed by a quick dive into the Backpack of Solitude to escape a visit with the principal, lead the bendy lad into and out of escalating calamities culminating in a multi-joint surprise ending. If Jimmy’s grave observation that “every boy needs an elbow” seems at first glance to be the takeaway, readers primed for nothing but laffs may be in for a surprise, as the author folds quick takes on “silly” vs. “serious”—not to mention life, death, spiritual apotheosis, and what it means to be “made in America”—into the manic proceedings. Jimmy, his elbow, and his action figure (“Made in Hong Kong. But I’m 100% American now”) are pink-skinned.
Hits smack on the funny bone. (Graphic fiction. 6-8)Pub Date: Aug. 13, 2024
ISBN: 9781603095419
Page Count: 168
Publisher: Top Shelf Productions
Review Posted Online: May 4, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Will draw more eyes than ever to the antics of this tuberous twosome.
Can Rot Poe Tater scare the snot out of Snot, his irritating big brother? Maybe with help from friends!
Tired of being the victim of his sib’s mischievous pranks, Rot, an anthropomorphic potato, is determined to turn the tables. Unfortunately, Snot seems to have eyes in the back of his head (no surprise, considering that he’s a potato), and even with a new pair of sneakers, Rot just can’t get the drop on him. Where can Rot learn to be even sneakier? Spy school, of course! Though Rot makes a hash out of lessons in keeping secrets and other spy skills, he finds classmates with complementary talents willing to help dish up a plan clever enough to startle the smirking older spud into a spectacularly gooey sneeze. And rather than mashing down his booger-blasted little bro, Snot gives him grudging props. Rot and pals rush to celebrate over a plate of only slightly slimed cupcakes (yum!), and the tale closes with a roguish final twist. The art, peeled down to the essentials and made with a mix of earth-toned paints, digital effects, and potato prints, adds to the episode’s air of mildly decayed charm.
Will draw more eyes than ever to the antics of this tuberous twosome. (nature facts, pranking guidelines, drawing lesson) (Graphic fiction. 6-8)Pub Date: Oct. 28, 2025
ISBN: 9781665964302
Page Count: 88
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: July 4, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2025
Ghostly fun for the gentlest of readers.
Newly arrived with his parents in seemingly quiet Kersville, an anxious young Latine boy discovers that his new house isn’t quite as normal and boring as he’d hoped.
This graphic reboot of the opener to a proliferating series of early chapter books dispenses with most of the explication but sticks closely to the original’s plotline and dialogue. Hardly has Andres Miedoso—who shares a name with the tale’s author—had time to unpack before a flurry of weird noises and events sends him hurrying over to consult with his grinning, brown-skinned new neighbor, who earlier handed him a business card provocatively labeled “Desmond Cole, Ghost Patrol.” Yes, there’s a ghost in Andres’ house—a jagged, seething cloud of ectoplasm that makes a terrifying first impression…but then gleefully chows down on some unfortunate lasagna and, after paying the gastric price, admits to being a sad, lonely specter searching for a permanent home. By the end, all three have bonded, Andres has a card of his own, and the stage is set for further supernatural exploits. The illustrations are closely based on those in the book’s antecedent, with the addition of bright colors that nicely show off Desmond’s big personality—and the massive green sliming Andres gets when the ghost upchucks all over him. The chills are, if anything, even lighter than the original’s, and the fresh format may draw some new fans.
Ghostly fun for the gentlest of readers. (Graphic ghost fantasy. 6-8)Pub Date: Jan. 27, 2026
ISBN: 9798347100811
Page Count: 144
Publisher: Little Simon/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Sept. 27, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
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