ALL KETCHUP, NO MUSTARD!

A punny good-versus-evil story populated by fast foods kicks off a graphic-novel series for chapter-book readers.

One day, (chicken) Nugget and (hot) Dog, best friends since preschool, search for “cool old stuff” in Great-Grandpa Frank Furter’s attic and find a picture of Gramps as a K.E.T.C.H.U.P. Crusader. K.E.T.C.H.U.P. stands for “Kind / Empathetic / Thoughtful / Courageous / Helpful / Unique / Powerful,” and, many years ago, K.E.T.C.H.U.P. Crusaders saved Gastropolis from Mayo Naze and her evil mold. Nugget and Dog adopt the motto “less mean, more K.E.T.C.H.U.P.” and decide to revitalize K.E.T.C.H.U.P. Crusaders. But Dijon, Mayo Naze’s great-grandson, has a different idea and launches his “greatest evil plan yet”: G.R.U.M.P.S., or “Giant Real Ugly Monsters with Perfect Scowls.” Dijon’s first monster, Stomp, terrorizes Gastropolis, but no one knows what the monster really wants. Brains? Breans? When the Crusaders ask, they find out Stomp just wants…beans—and friends. They are happy to provide both. But…“K.E.T.C.H.U.P. Crusaders might have won this time… / …but this is just the beginning of what Dijon Mustard can do. Mwahaha!” Nine chapters ranging in length from two to 10 pages keep the action moving, but newly independent readers will need to follow the illustration clues to understand the early-chapter shifts between Nugget and Dog and Dijon as well as the flashback that introduces K.E.T.C.H.U.P. Crusaders. A preface on how to read comics should help.

A dastardly villain, a dash of humor, and a dollop of K.E.T.C.H.U.P. combine to model positive social skills.