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
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
Having put together a band with renowned cousin Duck Ellington and singer “Bee” Holiday, Rooster’s chances sure look...
Winning actually isn’t everything, as jazz-happy Rooster learns when he goes up against the legendary likes of Mules Davis and Ella Finchgerald at the barnyard talent show.
Having put together a band with renowned cousin Duck Ellington and singer “Bee” Holiday, Rooster’s chances sure look good—particularly after his “ ‘Hen from Ipanema’ [makes] / the barnyard chickies swoon.”—but in the end the competition is just too stiff. No matter: A compliment from cool Mules and the conviction that he still has the world’s best band soon puts the strut back in his stride. Alexander’s versifying isn’t always in tune (“So, he went to see his cousin, / a pianist of great fame…”), and despite his moniker Rooster plays an electric bass in Bower’s canted country scenes. Children are unlikely to get most of the jokes liberally sprinkled through the text, of course, so the adults sharing it with them should be ready to consult the backmatter, which consists of closing notes on jazz’s instruments, history and best-known musicians.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-58536-688-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2011
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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