An addition to the Bone corpus sure to delight fans new and old.
Two whimsical adventures in the Bone universe are scaled for newcomers in this picture book with a graphic-novel feel.
In Smith’s newest addition to his ever expanding oeuvre, the adorable Bone boys are back for two new escapades. The first, “Finders Keepers,” features the tall and goofy Smiley Bone, sly and suspendered Phoney Bone, and earnest Fone Bone as they debate how to spend an unexpected windfall. Phoney and Smiley want to spend the money frivolously while Fone Bone presents a more sensible option. When they cannot come to a consensus, the trio finds themselves with nothing to show, gently emphasizing the importance of teamwork and cooperation. In the second tale, “Smiley’s Dream Book” (originally published as a stand-alone in 2018), Smiley has a wondrous reverie, counting birds with bespoke hats and scarves, until a fierce hawk threatens the fun. Fear not, Smiley will save the day, and his bravery is sure to elicit giggles from even the most stoic reader. Each full-color page (tints courtesy of Gaadt) is laid out as one framed panel with large, bright artwork, largely wordless action sequences, and easy-to-read, economically worded speech balloons. With its emphasis on sharing and counting, this is certainly slanted toward emerging readers, but older readers already familiar with the Bones should enjoy spending time with well-loved characters. All three characters present as male.
An addition to the Bone corpus sure to delight fans new and old. (Picture book. 4-9)Pub Date: May 5, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-338-62068-9
Page Count: 96
Publisher: Graphix/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Jan. 20, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2020
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
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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
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