A fun page-turner sure to steal readers’ attention.
It might be a man’s world, but one young thief wants to change that.
In this graphic offering from Finnish author/illustrator Kukkonen, Lily, a small, parentless girl with choppy dark hair is an extremely talented thief who bounds about her seemingly medieval village, picking pockets with panache. She works with elderly, gray-bearded Seamus, who treats her kindly, serving as her parental figure. Lily is determined to prove herself and secure a spot in the male-only thieves’ guild. When the Guildmaster laughs off any chance of entry because of her age and gender, she steals one of the scrolls that act as the guild’s job assignments out of spite. Lily soon finds herself facing corrupt nobility, the shadowy Brotherhood, and a mysterious legend as she dashes through dungeons and rushes among relics. Lily must now decide exactly how far she will go to get what she wants. A headstrong character, often blinded by her own impetuousness, Lily is a joy to follow as she wends her way through a male-dominated world (Lily is, in fact, nearly the only female character). Her sass, swords, and soaring arrows keep the pages flying and eyes racing over tidy panels colored by Bazot with a palette of cool blues countered by warm brown tones. Lily’s adventures feel familiar and a bit well trodden, but they are as cozy and comfortable as a warm blanket on a cold day. All characters present white.
A fun page-turner sure to steal readers’ attention. (Graphic fantasy. 7-12)Pub Date: Nov. 5, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-250-19355-1
Page Count: 288
Publisher: First Second
Review Posted Online: Sept. 14, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2019
More trampling in the vineyards of the Literary Classics section, with results that will tickle fancies high and low.
Recasting Dog Man and his feline ward, Li’l Petey, as costumed superheroes, Pilkey looks East of Eden in this follow-up to Tale of Two Kitties (2017).
The Steinbeck novel’s Cain/Abel motif gets some play here, as Petey, “world’s evilest cat” and cloned Li’l Petey’s original, tries assiduously to tempt his angelic counterpart over to the dark side only to be met, ultimately at least, by Li’l Petey’s “Thou mayest.” (There are also occasional direct quotes from the novel.) But inner struggles between good and evil assume distinctly subordinate roles to riotous outer ones, as Petey repurposes robots built for a movie about the exploits of Dog Man—“the thinking man’s Rin Tin Tin”—while leading a general rush to the studio’s costume department for appropriate good guy/bad guy outfits in preparation for the climactic battle. During said battle and along the way Pilkey tucks in multiple Flip-O-Rama inserts as well as general gags. He lists no fewer than nine ways to ask “who cut the cheese?” and includes both punny chapter titles (“The Bark Knight Rises”) and nods to Hamiltonand Mary Poppins. The cartoon art, neatly and brightly colored by Garibaldi, is both as easy to read as the snappy dialogue and properly endowed with outsized sound effects, figures displaying a range of skin colors, and glimpses of underwear (even on robots).
More trampling in the vineyards of the Literary Classics section, with results that will tickle fancies high and low. (drawing instructions) (Graphic fantasy. 7-10)Pub Date: Dec. 26, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-545-93518-0
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Graphix/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: May 13, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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What a wag.
What do you get from sewing the head of a smart dog onto the body of a tough police officer? A new superhero from the incorrigible creator of Captain Underpants.
Finding a stack of old Dog Mancomics that got them in trouble back in first grade, George and Harold decide to craft a set of new(ish) adventures with (more or less) improved art and spelling. These begin with an origin tale (“A Hero Is Unleashed”), go on to a fiendish attempt to replace the chief of police with a “Robo Chief” and then a temporarily successful scheme to make everyone stupid by erasing all the words from every book (“Book ’Em, Dog Man”), and finish off with a sort of attempted alien invasion evocatively titled “Weenie Wars: The Franks Awaken.” In each, Dog Man squares off against baddies (including superinventor/archnemesis Petey the cat) and saves the day with a clever notion. With occasional pauses for Flip-O-Rama featurettes, the tales are all framed in brightly colored sequential panels with hand-lettered dialogue (“How do you feel, old friend?” “Ruff!”) and narrative. The figures are studiously diverse, with police officers of both genders on view and George, the chief, and several other members of the supporting cast colored in various shades of brown. Pilkey closes as customary with drawing exercises, plus a promise that the canine crusader will be further unleashed in a sequel.
What a wag. (Graphic fantasy. 7-9)Pub Date: Aug. 30, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-545-58160-8
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Graphix/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: May 31, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
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SEEN & HEARD
BOOK TO SCREEN
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