A quirky spin on a familiar trope.
Magical nannies, pig nannies, mixed-up nannies—sure…but monster nannies?
Halley, Koby, and Mimi’s mother has won a spa trip to Lapland. Dad (or Invisible Voice, as the kids call him, since he’s always traveling for work) won’t be home to care for the kids. A nanny has been promised as part of the package; when it arrives, the white family is surprised. It’s a huge, half-human, hairy, dirty, dust-covered monster. It seems nice enough, though. Mom goes on her trip, and the monster installs itself in the tiny hall closet. Halley brings home a book from the library about monsters, and the trio researches the uncommunicative caregiver. Seems monsters eat no meat and can be trained to understand humans and do simple tasks. Halley, Koby, and Mimi name their monster Grah. Reading on, they discover that monsters are social creatures. Observing both that Grah seems sad and that other kids are being tended by monster nannies while their parents are in Lapland, the kids hatch a plan to get all their monster nannies to their monster home, but there are other, more inimical magical creatures afoot. Finnish author Tolonen’s tale leaves many unanswered questions (why does Mimi’s bathrobe talk?) and relies too heavily on the monster book for exposition. A cultural detail or two might need explaining, but this may serve as a diverting and different read-aloud.
A quirky spin on a familiar trope. (Fantasy. 7-11)Pub Date: Nov. 14, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-544-94354-4
Page Count: 304
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 20, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2017
We challenge anyone to read this and keep a straight face.
Four misunderstood villains endeavor to turn over a new leaf…or a new rap sheet in Blabey's frenzied romp.
As readers open the first page of this early chapter book, Mr. Wolf is right there to greet them, bemoaning his reputation. "Just because I've got BIG POINTY TEETH and RAZOR-SHARP CLAWS and I occasionally like to dress up like an OLD LADY, that doesn't mean… / … I'm a BAD GUY." To prove this very fact, Mr. Wolf enlists three equally slandered friends into the Good Guys Club: Mr. Snake (aka the Chicken Swallower), Mr. Piranha (aka the Butt Biter), and Mr. Shark (aka Jaws). After some convincing from Mr. Wolf, the foursome sets off determined to un-smirch their names (and reluctantly curbing their appetites). Although these predators find that not everyone is ready to be at the receiving end of their helpful efforts, they use all their Bad Guy know-how to manage a few hilarious good deeds. Blabey has hit the proverbial nail on the head, kissed it full on the mouth, and handed it a stick of Acme dynamite. With illustrations that startle in their manic comedy and deadpan direct address and with a narrative that follows four endearingly sardonic characters trying to push past (sometimes successfully) their fear-causing natures, this book instantly joins the classic ranks of Captain Underpants and The Stinky Cheese Man.
We challenge anyone to read this and keep a straight face. (Fiction. 7-11)Pub Date: Jan. 3, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-545-91240-2
Page Count: 144
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Sept. 18, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Dizzyingly silly.
The famous superhero returns to fight another villain with all the trademark wit and humor the series is known for.
Despite the title, Captain Underpants is bizarrely absent from most of this adventure. His school-age companions, George and Harold, maintain most of the spotlight. The creative chums fool around with time travel and several wacky inventions before coming upon the evil Turbo Toilet 2000, making its return for vengeance after sitting out a few of the previous books. When the good Captain shows up to save the day, he brings with him dynamic action and wordplay that meet the series’ standards. The Captain Underpants saga maintains its charm even into this, the 11th volume. The epic is filled to the brim with sight gags, toilet humor, flip-o-ramas and anarchic glee. Holding all this nonsense together is the author’s good-natured sense of harmless fun. The humor is never gross or over-the-top, just loud and innocuous. Adults may roll their eyes here and there, but youngsters will eat this up just as quickly as they devoured every other Underpants episode.
Dizzyingly silly. (Humor. 8-10)Pub Date: Aug. 26, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-545-50490-4
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: June 3, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2014
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