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
The dream phantasms of a high-spirited narrator intersect, even crowd, reality, but the stream-of-consciousness text makes for a rambling, radically personal tale. Playful images of a stuffed lion, trampoline, purple shoes, and a cat named Pine-Cone take hold in a young girl’s imagination, despite her “old” mother who makes her go to bed when she’d rather “stay up early” and a big sister with a cranky disposition. At home, she likes counting flea bites and pretending to be a worm, but is afraid of the dark and going to Grade One. The second half of the book takes off in a separate first-day-of school direction. Wild dreams precede the big day, which includes bullies on the playground and instant friend Chelsea. The childlike articulations of the text are endearing, but not quite of universal interest, and don’t add up to a compelling story; children may more readily warm to Gay’s illustrations, which include a dreamlike flying cat, a menacing hot dog, and an uproarious stuffed toy looming over everyday domestic scenes. (Picture book. 4-7)
Pub Date: Feb. 15, 1999
ISBN: 1-55143-107-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Orca
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 1999
When evil, oversized alien rabbits land at Dingdale Elementary chool (the “S” has fallen off the sign so often that custodian Fuzzy Dustin refuses to fix it any more), it’s up to young Hercules Smith and his slobbery pooch Sheldon to save the Earth—or at least the student body—from being transformed into carrots. Luckily (or maybe not), a pair of the titular Wuv Bunnies, heavily armed with kisses and truly toxic jokes, arrive from the Outers Pace Galaxy to help out. Elliott and Long milk this premise for all it’s worth, dishing up a Captain Underpants–style mix of text and wild cartoons—the former well-stocked with authorial asides, the latter filled with big-toothed bunnies sporting antennae and high-fiving each other after each gag. Capped by a gratuitous barrage of extra jokes (“What did the duck say when she bought some lipstick? Just put it on my bill. HA! HA! HA! HA!”), this is all perfectly pitched to its audience and guaranteed to garner groans from the grown-ups. (Fantasy. 7-9)
Pub Date: June 1, 2008
ISBN: 978-0-8234-1902-9
Page Count: 112
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2008
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
