An imaginative and ultimately affirming day at the beach, with more than a splash of laughter.
Friends take part in a cosmic game of pretend.
TJ, a small bird, encounters a strange-looking creature—but it’s just Pip the otter, covered in seaweed! She shakes it off, but while taking another dip, she gets tangled once more (swimming’s a challenge for her)—and this time, it turns her green. TJ decides that Pip must be from “otter space” (pun definitely intended), just like an alien in one of TJ’s comics. They speculate about what Pip’s home planet might look like and decide that Pip will split her time between Earth and space. “So you’ll migrate like me!” points out TJ. The friends build a spaceship with the help of the crafty Gulley. While things don’t go quite as planned, it all ends with a message of self-acceptance. Pip’s earnestness and TJ’s wild imagination make for a winning combination; though TJ’s off-the-wall fantasies are hilarious, the bird’s confidence in Pip is just as satisfying as the moments of zaniness. De Oliveira relies on a few panels per page and relatively short sentences, resulting in an easy reading experience. The story takes place almost entirely by the seaside, and the pages are filled with blue skies and yellow sand. Between Pip, TJ, Gulley, and Herman the hermit crab, there are plenty of colorful species to bring visual variety to each lighthearted scene.
An imaginative and ultimately affirming day at the beach, with more than a splash of laughter. (jokes) (Graphic fiction. 6-9)Pub Date: July 14, 2026
ISBN: 9798217024759
Page Count: 80
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: April 20, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2026
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
This outing lacks the sophistication of such category standards as Clementine; here’s hoping English amps things up for...
A gentle voice and familiar pitfalls characterize this tale of a boy navigating the risky road to responsibility.
Gavin is new to his neighborhood and Carver Elementary. He likes his new friend, Richard, and has a typically contentious relationship with his older sister, Danielle. When Gavin’s desire to impress Richard sets off a disastrous chain of events, the boy struggles to evade responsibility for his actions. “After all, it isn’t his fault that Danielle’s snow globe got broken. Sure, he shouldn’t have been in her room—but then, she shouldn’t be keeping candy in her room to tempt him. Anybody would be tempted. Anybody!” opines Gavin once he learns the punishment for his crime. While Gavin has a charming Everyboy quality, and his aversion to Aunt Myrtle’s yapping little dog rings true, little about Gavin distinguishes him from other trouble-prone protagonists. He is, regrettably, forgettable. Coretta Scott King Honor winner English (Francie, 1999) is a teacher whose storytelling usually benefits from her day job. Unfortunately, the pizzazz of classroom chaos is largely absent from this series opener.
This outing lacks the sophistication of such category standards as Clementine; here’s hoping English amps things up for subsequent volumes. (Fiction. 6-9)Pub Date: Dec. 17, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-547-97044-8
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 1, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
SEEN & HEARD
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
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