by Marcia Thornton Jones & Debbie Dadey ; adapted by Pearl Low ; illustrated by Pearl Low ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 3, 2021
A great way to reboot the silly, gently creepy series for a new generation.
The Bailey School Kids series returns with a graphic-novel adaptation that asks: Is the kids’ new teacher a vampire?
Having tormented their former teacher into quitting, Eddie, the ringleader of the pranksters, thinks he can handle anyone the school can find to replace her. But the replacement is pale Transylvanian Mrs. Jeepers, whose Gothic demeanor, coffin ownership, and accent immediately have the kids thinking of vampires. The accent is depicted visually, with a faintly drippy (but still plenty legible) type set in a green that coordinates with her mystical, glowing brooch. At first Eddie, who presents White, is confident that he can get rid of her, but after he gets in trouble with Mrs. Jeepers for trying to touch Melody’s hair (she is illustrated as Black) without permission, the other kids notice—and taunt him that he’s afraid of Mrs. Jeepers. They challenge Eddie to sneak into Mrs. Jeepers’ basement, open the coffin, and tell them what’s inside—and he challenges Melody to come with him to verify. The mission ends in inconclusive creepiness, further shifting the balance of power in Mrs. Jeepers’ favor in their classroom battle of wills. The new format will be readily received by graphic-novel fans and reluctant readers alike. The full-color illustrations include a character guide at the front that provides names and establishes racial diversity.
A great way to reboot the silly, gently creepy series for a new generation. (Graphic paranormal/comedy. 6-10)Pub Date: Aug. 3, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-338-73660-1
Page Count: 80
Publisher: Graphix/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: June 15, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2021
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by Jarrett Lerner ; illustrated by Jarrett Lerner ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 26, 2021
Skip this meal.
Four foodstuff friends help a student stave off ill effects from a brushed-aside breakfast.
Snacks are absolutely not allowed in Mrs. Sternbladder’s classroom at the James H. Pinchkid Elementary School. When the four taco-ingredient Hunger Heroes—Tammy the tomato, Leonard the cheese, Mr. Toots the bean, and Chip Ninja the tortilla chip—get an alert about a student’s missed meal and his flagging energy before a big test, they immediately take to their taco hovercraft to save the day. This job won’t be easy: An autonomous vacuum, a gym full of dodgeballs, and a snack-loathing teacher all stand in their way. The first in a proposed series, this graphic hybrid is bland as white bread. All the elements are seemingly there: cute, cartoony characters, silly jokes galore, and zippily paced chapters. Unfortunately, the whole never quite equals the sum of its parts. The characterizations are thin, the resolution is quick and questionable, and many scenes feel like dreaded heavy-handed teachable moments having all the allure of a brownie made from brussels sprouts. There is little connection for its readers, who most likely will wonder why they should care about a kid (hardly more than a name and a face) who missed breakfast and why taco ingredients care so much. Humans portrayed throughout show a range of skin tones; however, there is little differentiation between adult and juvenile characters.
Skip this meal. (Graphic/fiction hybrid. 7-10)Pub Date: Oct. 26, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-5344-6282-3
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Aladdin
Review Posted Online: Sept. 14, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2021
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by John Patrick Green ; illustrated by John Patrick Green ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 25, 2020
Silly and inventive fast-paced fun
Awards & Accolades
Our Verdict
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New York Times Bestseller
IndieBound Bestseller
A zippy graphic-novel series opener featuring two comically bumbling reptile detectives.
As agents of SUIT (Special Undercover Investigation Team) with customized VESTs (Very Exciting Spy Technology) boasting the latest gadgetry, the bright green InvestiGators Mango and Brash receive their newest assignment. The reptilian duo must go undercover at the Batter Down bakery to find missing mustachioed Chef Gustavo and his secret recipes. Before long, the pair find themselves embroiled in a strange and busy plot with a scientist chicken, a rabid were-helicopter, an escape-artist dinosaur, and radioactive cracker dough. Despite the great number of disparate threads, Green manages to tie up most neatly, leaving just enough intrigue for subsequent adventures. Nearly every panel has a joke, including puns (“gator done!”), poop jokes, and pop-culture references (eagle-eyed older readers will certainly pick up on the 1980s song references), promising to make even the most stone-faced readers dissolve into giggles. Green’s art is as vibrant as an overturned box of crayons and as highly spirited as a Saturday-morning cartoon. Fast pacing and imaginative plotting (smattered with an explosion here, a dance number there) propel the action through a whimsical world in which a diverse cast of humans live alongside anthropomorphized reptiles and dinosaurs. With its rampant good-natured goofiness and its unrelenting fizz and pep, this feels like a sugar rush manifested as a graphic novel.
Silly and inventive fast-paced fun . (Graphic fantasy. 7-10)Pub Date: Feb. 25, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-250-21995-4
Page Count: 208
Publisher: First Second
Review Posted Online: Nov. 23, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2019
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