A warm tale that will have readers following the characters’ worthy examples.
A sweet story that proves things “built with kindness are built to last!”
The Good Guys Agency is “here to make the world a better place.” The agency—made up of three boys named Lucky, Rudy, and Red—has an enviable treehouse, a fun Kid Cruiser go-cart, and a long list of aspirations, much like a scout law (“We Pledge To: Be Kind to Others …”). The agency must help Charlie, who’s frustrated by his little brother, Teddy, who keeps ruining his attempts to build a fort. So Lucky, Red, and Charlie go to Imagination Station, while Rudy stays connected to them via string-and–tin can “telephones.” The boys learn about Fred Rogers, who as a child was bullied but nevertheless always advocated for treating others with kindness. The boys meet an adult Mr. Rogers and witness highlights in his career: Mr. Rogers speaks “calmly and nicely” while testifying before Congress to ask for a $20 million allocation for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and cools off in a wading pool with Officer Clemmons, a watershed moment in 1969 when many swimming pools were still segregated. Back home, Charlie, having absorbed Mr. Rogers’ lessons, welcomes Teddy’s help building the fort. A mix of prose and colorful comic panels make for a fast-moving story affirming the power of kindness and empathy. Lucky, Red, Charlie, and Teddy are light-skinned; Rudy has a darker complexion and curly dark hair.
A warm tale that will have readers following the characters’ worthy examples. (brief biography of Fred Rogers, complete list of Agency pledges) (Graphic chapter book. 6-9)Pub Date: Aug. 2, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-63819-079-0
Page Count: 96
Publisher: Bushel & Peck Books
Review Posted Online: June 21, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2022
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
Models attention to detail and deductive reasoning in a fun beach setting, complete with interesting facts.
Beachcombers and shell seekers, gather ’round and meet Shelby and Watts, Planetary Investigators.
When Fred the hermit crab can’t find a new, larger shell to move into, he seeks out the “brilliant brains” of Shelby and Watts. Shelby, a fox, is the detective in the duo, and Watts, a badger, loves facts, adding simple fun ones—about hermit crabs, tides, tide-pool dwellers, how shells are used, etc.—throughout the story. Watts also loves to catalog clues in his notebook. In fact, the first mystery that Shelby solves is that of Watts’ lost notebook. Young readers can watch Shelby investigate, solve, and explain her deductive process, all while learning to carefully examine all the details in each graphic panel. Once the missing shells are found, it’s “time for the hermit crab shuffle,” in which the members of a colony of hermit crabs all line up and trade up to larger homes. Final pages include “Earth-Saving Tips from Shelby & Watts,” such as taking pictures of shells instead of collecting them, eating seafood from sustainable sources, and cleaning up the beach. The seven chapters are of varying length, but with several one-panel pages and many pages with low word count, the book is shorter than it appears, which should be a confidence boost for young readers. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Models attention to detail and deductive reasoning in a fun beach setting, complete with interesting facts. (Graphic early reader/mystery. 6-9)Pub Date: Aug. 24, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593-20531-0
Page Count: 96
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: June 1, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2021
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