A clear message that there’s more to life than making a living.
Wolf falls afoul of a pair of overzealous vigilantes, who arrest him on the theory that because he’s not working, he must be a criminal.
The latest entry in a hybrid picture book/graphic novel series given to sharp social commentary takes particular aim at the notion that anyone who doesn’t work must be either lazy or a thief. Because he refuses to explain where he got the coins to pay for his daily noodles, Wolf is hustled off to jail by two badgers in military dress—but when they try to uncover evidence of his supposed crimes, all they learn is that he does lots of good deeds, like helping out at the clinic and chaperoning schoolchildren without asking for reward (“Money? Please, we don’t have any money. We’re teachers!” “Oh. Right”). Meanwhile, a self-righteous local tycoon’s claim that “work builds character!” gets a skewering as someone points out that they inherited their factory, and after responding to a guard’s notion that everyone has to work to earn a living with “I don’t need to EARN a life. I’ve already got one!” Wolf borrows a shovel to dig his way out. He’s immediately surrounded by a crowd of admirers. The money, it turns out, is simply a redistribution of wealth as grateful mice return a favor by stealing money from the tycoon and tucking it into the gaily striped underwear Wolf sports in the cartoon illustrations while he’s sleeping. As the badgers slink off to “waste time…I mean…patrol…,” a varied cast of woodland creatures offers background chatter and additional commentary. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A clear message that there’s more to life than making a living. (Graphic/picture-book hybrid. 5-9)Pub Date: Nov. 1, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-72846-296-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Graphic Universe
Review Posted Online: July 12, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
This outing lacks the sophistication of such category standards as Clementine; here’s hoping English amps things up for...
A gentle voice and familiar pitfalls characterize this tale of a boy navigating the risky road to responsibility.
Gavin is new to his neighborhood and Carver Elementary. He likes his new friend, Richard, and has a typically contentious relationship with his older sister, Danielle. When Gavin’s desire to impress Richard sets off a disastrous chain of events, the boy struggles to evade responsibility for his actions. “After all, it isn’t his fault that Danielle’s snow globe got broken. Sure, he shouldn’t have been in her room—but then, she shouldn’t be keeping candy in her room to tempt him. Anybody would be tempted. Anybody!” opines Gavin once he learns the punishment for his crime. While Gavin has a charming Everyboy quality, and his aversion to Aunt Myrtle’s yapping little dog rings true, little about Gavin distinguishes him from other trouble-prone protagonists. He is, regrettably, forgettable. Coretta Scott King Honor winner English (Francie, 1999) is a teacher whose storytelling usually benefits from her day job. Unfortunately, the pizzazz of classroom chaos is largely absent from this series opener.
This outing lacks the sophistication of such category standards as Clementine; here’s hoping English amps things up for subsequent volumes. (Fiction. 6-9)Pub Date: Dec. 17, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-547-97044-8
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 1, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
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