Thoughtful investigation and deduction wrapped in a slightly spooky mystery with a bit of humor.
A dedicated fact collector and mystery solver eagerly shares her secrets with readers.
In this second in the series, Paige gladly opens her detective notebook and explains her process as she and her friends Karla and Penn solve the mysteries of a haunted music school and a missing baby owl. First, Paige teaches readers to distinguish between fiction and fact (or nonfiction). Paige prefers nonfiction, which, she notes, is rooted in truth and can be confirmed by evidence gathered from reliable sources and through observation. Together, Paige and her pals investigate. Despite the ghostly subject matter, this tale will also induce giggles: Boogers reportedly have been oozing from the bathroom sink, while the halls ring with funny parodies (“The eyes on the bat go round and round…”). The book also serves as a solid introduction to deductive reasoning and the differences between fact and fiction. Even after the trio solve the mysteries, Penn isn’t entirely convinced, and Paige realizes that “Even when you have fully investigated, made clear observations, and proven the facts, some people still come to their own conclusions”—a comment many adult readers will find insightful. Colorful cartoon illustrations are interspersed with excerpts from Paige’s notebook. Paige has a purple ponytail and tan skin, Karla has long, wavy blue hair and tan skin, and Penn has short, dark blue hair and brown skin.
Thoughtful investigation and deduction wrapped in a slightly spooky mystery with a bit of humor. (Graphic fiction. 7-11)Pub Date: Feb. 7, 2023
ISBN: 9781534451643
Page Count: 112
Publisher: Aladdin
Review Posted Online: March 28, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
More trampling in the vineyards of the Literary Classics section, with results that will tickle fancies high and low.
Recasting Dog Man and his feline ward, Li’l Petey, as costumed superheroes, Pilkey looks East of Eden in this follow-up to Tale of Two Kitties (2017).
The Steinbeck novel’s Cain/Abel motif gets some play here, as Petey, “world’s evilest cat” and cloned Li’l Petey’s original, tries assiduously to tempt his angelic counterpart over to the dark side only to be met, ultimately at least, by Li’l Petey’s “Thou mayest.” (There are also occasional direct quotes from the novel.) But inner struggles between good and evil assume distinctly subordinate roles to riotous outer ones, as Petey repurposes robots built for a movie about the exploits of Dog Man—“the thinking man’s Rin Tin Tin”—while leading a general rush to the studio’s costume department for appropriate good guy/bad guy outfits in preparation for the climactic battle. During said battle and along the way Pilkey tucks in multiple Flip-O-Rama inserts as well as general gags. He lists no fewer than nine ways to ask “who cut the cheese?” and includes both punny chapter titles (“The Bark Knight Rises”) and nods to Hamiltonand Mary Poppins. The cartoon art, neatly and brightly colored by Garibaldi, is both as easy to read as the snappy dialogue and properly endowed with outsized sound effects, figures displaying a range of skin colors, and glimpses of underwear (even on robots).
More trampling in the vineyards of the Literary Classics section, with results that will tickle fancies high and low. (drawing instructions) (Graphic fantasy. 7-10)Pub Date: Dec. 26, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-545-93518-0
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Graphix/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: May 13, 2018
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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