Endlessly wacky; fast-moving antics and incessant fretting that would make Chicken Little look mellow give this familiar...
Anthropomorphic noodles worry and fret over a series of bedtimes and bad dreams.
Mac and Mac are two noodleheads, literally: they are noodle-shaped boys with nothing inside their heads. As might be expected, the two Macs are not particularly bright, and consequently they get into all types of goofy gaffes. The tubular tots initially decide to sleep outside because they hate making their beds, despite their mother’s bribe of a pie. Nighttime sounds scare them so much their legs tangle comically, and ultimately they go back inside. At least now they get pie. However, mischievous Meatball is also out for their confection—and gets it. Finally, one of the Macs loses his pillow and tries to compensate for its loss by bringing all sorts of odd objects—like a wooden chest and some food—into bed with him, with disastrous results. Funny nightmares punctuate each episode. Short chapters with large, brightly hued panels and spacious speech bubbles make this an easy choice for emerging readers. Fans of Arnold's previous work, particularly his Fly Guy series, will recognize his trademark artistic style and gravitate toward this. Opening notes in microscopic print explain the folk origins of each short chapter.
Endlessly wacky; fast-moving antics and incessant fretting that would make Chicken Little look mellow give this familiar topic a fresh feel. (Graphic early reader. 5-9)Pub Date: March 15, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-8234-3566-1
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: Dec. 21, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An exuberant, delightful underdog’s tale.
Crafty Chavo outsmarts the other team in an otherworldly game of capture the flag.
A group of children gathers in the park as evening falls. The group varies in age and race, and each child holds a flashlight in hand. The team leaders shake hands; now the team selection can begin. One brown-haired, olive-skinned boy, Chavo, can’t wait to be picked, barely containing his glee. As the smallest one in the group, Chavo is chosen last, but he’s just as happy anyway. Each leader hoists their team’s flag, flashlights flick on, and the game begins. Suddenly, the park transforms into a purple, pink, and blue sci-fi landscape, complete with two moons and dangerous wildlife. Both groups huddle up and plot away, and Chavo must go into the alien jungle to hide his team’s flag. But when his entire team rushes into a trap, Chavo finds himself all alone. How will he win the game? Similar to earlier series entries Belinda the Unbeatable and Andrew the Seeker (both 2017), Nordling and Silva’s latest collaboration combines play and imagination in one captivating, clever mishmash of fun. Featuring crisp, clean, and vibrant panels, humorous close-ups, and swift transitions, this wordless graphic novel overflows with delight, anchored by a likable, cunning protagonist. Chavo’s victory is never in doubt, but it’s still great to see the littlest player pull it off against the odds.
An exuberant, delightful underdog’s tale. (Graphic adventure. 5-9)Pub Date: May 1, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-5415-1046-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Graphic Universe
Review Posted Online: March 3, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2018
Readers will go for these pals who stick together in a bond as solid as stone.
More fun with Stick and Stone!
The BFFs whose exploits were chronicled in two earlier picture books (2015, 2021), illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld, have joined the graphic-novel universe. This second graphic novel starring the duo, after Stick and Stone Explore and More (2022), is divided into two chapters, each followed by appealing, simple activities. The first chapter finds the pals picnicking with friends near a cave. Timid worrywart Stone has misgivings, but those issues are resolved satisfactorily. Once over those hurdles, Stone confronts spelunking, a word he loves (as will readers) until he learns what it entails. Stone’s not into cave exploring, but what he discovers when he finds himself in a cave are unexpected—and not entirely unpleasant—surprises and, afterward, a burgeoning new friendship. In the second chapter, Stone effects a daring rescue as he extracts Stick from the jaws of an overly enthusiastic puppy, an adventure that leads the pair to adopt a “pet” that undergoes a spectacular transformation, necessitating a tender farewell. This charmer is chock-full of humor, heart, adventure, and the joys of friendship. Stick and Stone are endearingly winning characters with distinctive, expressive personalities. Kids will savor the dynamic, funny digital illustrations; follow the panels and speech bubbles easily; and appreciate the font, which varies with the narrative’s onomatopoeia.
Readers will go for these pals who stick together in a bond as solid as stone. (Graphic fiction. 6-9)Pub Date: Feb. 7, 2023
ISBN: 978-0-358-54938-3
Page Count: 96
Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Dec. 23, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2023
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