The funniest, most heartwarming alien invasion this side of the Jurassic Period.
An extraterrestrial with a chip on his shoulder learns about friendship from an empathetic group of dinosaurs.
Jeff crash-lands his spacecraft on prehistoric Earth and declares himself ruler only to be met with laughter and Pterodactyl poop. He meets Carl and Hungry, two talking dinosaurs who tolerate his demands to meet their leader, as well as petlike Spike. Spike drools and cannot speak, but Carl and Hungry love him and include him in decision-making. As Jeff learns more about the flora and fauna of Earth, he becomes both comfortable leading a cooking lesson and impatient with Earth’s less-evolved population. Jeff represents a technologically advanced but selfish, status-driven perspective, while the dinosaurs are in touch with nature and their feelings and do not take Jeff’s insults personally, regarding him indulgently, as one would a cranky toddler. The biomes and landscapes, such as forest, swamp, canyon, and lakeshore, are visually distinct and help separate the group’s adventure into geographical segments. Likewise, each of the species on Earth bears a unique silhouette and color. Everyone stands out, including (literally and hilariously) a fish with feet. The laughs are as dependable as the moral. With the exception of Sara, a dinosaur who, along with her babies, enjoys Jeff’s cooking lesson, the cast reads entirely male. The backmatter includes instructions for drawing Jeff and Carl and a guide to Jeff’s alien alphabet.
The funniest, most heartwarming alien invasion this side of the Jurassic Period. (Graphic fiction. 7-10)Pub Date: May 30, 2023
ISBN: 9780593565391
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Random House Graphic
Review Posted Online: March 13, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
This tater is half-baked.
A young monster fighter faces off against a villainous vegetable.
In this graphic-novel sequel to series opener Catch the Munchies (2020), creature-catcher Carlton Crumple and best friend Lulu are after one hot potato determined to overtake the world with his diabolical Tot Bots. While noshing at the Spuds on Wheels food truck at the local Cactus Fest, Carlton is shocked when one of his king-size Lots o’ Tots sprouts arms and legs and bounds away. Intrepid Lulu catches the rogue tater, bringing him back to the Creature Cave for questioning. The pair teams up with the food truck’s driver, French Fry Thunderknuckle, and they learn about a spiteful spud who not only wants long-simmered vengeance on Thunderknuckle, but also the entire planet. Fremont’s sophomore effort is busy and bright and filled with more puns than fries in a supersized meal. His panels are outlined with heavy black borders that can barely contain their crowded contents and zippy, display-type onomatopoeia. While certainly high on pep, this overstuffed plot feels about as substantial as cotton candy, relying on harebrained gimmicks to move it along. Among a sea of similar titles, this offers little to help it rise above the glut, with yet another tale of a male main character supported by a female who seems more than capable without him. Carlton and Lulu are White; supporting human characters also present mostly White.
This tater is half-baked. (Graphic fantasy. 7-10)Pub Date: Feb. 2, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-64595-006-6
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Pixel+Ink
Review Posted Online: Dec. 14, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
A generous slice of wacky, with savory bits of good detective work melted in.
Two young sleuths set out to identify a mysterious pepperoni thief in this series opener.
The exciting prospect of a real case at last has violet T. rex Dino Detective rousting her marsupial sibling sidekick Awesome Possum out of bed and racing downstairs with potted Plant—silent partner but also occasional snide narrator—to track down the malefactor who has stripped Grandma Thunderclaps’ homemade pizza of its tasty topping. Tantalizing distractions include a secret agent lunch lady fairy and overheard schemes being laid by mice in an array of disguises from clown to alien. Notwithstanding these, the dedicated gumshoes forge on in their investigation—until, frustratingly, every suspect is apparently ruled out by either logic or alibi. But in true whodunit fashion Bentley tucks in clues from the first page on…which Dino at last puts together to catch the culprit red (sauce) handed. Carping pizza purists may object that the victimized “Sicilian” looks more round than rectangular in some views, but the cartoon images of suspect dossiers and multispecies cast members reflect the tale’s surreal character and manic pacing nicely. They share space with the well-leaded text on nearly every page. Grandma and the lunch lady, the only figures with human faces, present White.
A generous slice of wacky, with savory bits of good detective work melted in. (Mystery. 7-10)Pub Date: March 9, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593-09348-1
Page Count: 80
Publisher: Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: Jan. 26, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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