A silly and surprisingly heartwarming alien invasion
A human boy and an extraterrestrial team up in this zany theme-park adventure.
“Boy weirdo” Javi loves scary rides and amusement-park games. It’s perfect, then, that his dad is a “theme parkitect” who’s been working to reopen the shuttered Fun Fun Fun World. When real live ET’s crash-land at Fun Fun Fun World, Javi sees this as an unprecedented opportunity to harness their technology. For his part, Minky, Devastorm 5’s captain, is full of bravado, eager to conquer Earth for the Gonzol Imperium. With the theme park’s slogan, “it’s not a dream if you believe it,” as their motto, the unlikely allies team up to turn their dreams into reality. The twisty plot brings together plenty of churros, deception, sabotage, feral cats, augmented reality, jokes, and lessons learned. The ET’s are primarily turquoise; both ET’s and humans with feminine pronouns are endowed with noticeable eyelashes. Brown-skinned Javi and his father are Latinx while theme-park visitors have a diversity of skin tones, and some present as queer. Mercado’s art is dynamic, full of energy and bright colors that burst off the page. With some suspension of disbelief required (would Javi’s dad really leave Javi alone at the park for a week?), this is a great choice for fans of James Burks’ Bird & Squirrel and J. Torres and Sean Dove’s BroBots.
A silly and surprisingly heartwarming alien invasion . (Graphic science fiction. 7-10)Pub Date: April 21, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-62010-732-4
Page Count: 176
Publisher: Oni Press
Review Posted Online: Jan. 11, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2020
Lunch Lady and Betty serve up another action-filled adventure in the third installment of the Lunch Lady series. It is the long-awaited author-visit day for the students at Thompson Brook School, and Lewis Scribson—author of the beloved Flippy Bunny books—is scheduled to appear. When Mr. Scribson shows up, there’s something not quite right about the surly, bespectacled author, and mysteriously, on the same day, Coach Birkby goes missing. It’s up to Lunch Lady and the Breakfast Buddies to save the day once again. Their fight to uncover the truth reveals Scribson’s secret plot, complete with an entire army of attack–Flippy Bunnies, all equipped with cute bow ties and deadly fangs. This episode dishes out more of the same rampant silliness in its trademark gray-and-yellow palette. Those who have followed the series will be pleased with its consistency, though those looking for more development may be disappointed. Although not particularly substantial, this is another helping of hijinks for Lunch Lady fans. (Graphic novel. 7-10)
Pub Date: Dec. 22, 2009
ISBN: 978-0-375-86094-2
Page Count: 96
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2009
Definitely on the Wimpy Kid bandwagon, but less vicious with the satire and therefore all the more welcome. (Graphic novel....
Scenes from the life of a middle-grade Everydonkey.
Aside from a few tears after being suddenly struck by the expressions “dumbass” and “dumb as a donkey” (his mother gently joshes him out of his funk), Ariol travels a relatively gentle emotional landscape in this series opener. Giggle-inducing episodes usually involve Ariol’s friend Ramono the pig, who sets off a nose-to-nose, no-hands game of “pass the tissue” at school and later brings fake vomit on a class outing (“My dad had bought it to play a joke on my mom, before their divorce”). Other experiences range from providing commentary for a triumphant tennis match against illusory opponent Stevie McFailure to cutting up in gym and, in the finale, suffering a nightmare in which he has to choose between class crush Petula the cow or becoming an interstellar knight with beloved equine superhero Thunder Horse. Boutavant arranges the all-animal cast in large sequential panels that never look crowded even when the dialogue balloons multiply.
Definitely on the Wimpy Kid bandwagon, but less vicious with the satire and therefore all the more welcome. (Graphic novel. 8-10)Pub Date: Feb. 19, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-59707-399-8
Page Count: 124
Publisher: Papercutz
Review Posted Online: Jan. 15, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2013
© Copyright 2025 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.
