Give a hand, or two, to this surreal, headlong romp.
The search for a misplaced rabbit’s foot leads two adventurers into encounters with a bull who’s lost his temper, much missing treasure, and many, many single socks.
Clad anonymously in custom-made adventure suits that cover them head to toe, the never-named narrator (“Me”) and sidekick (“You”) drive their supposedly “uncrashable” adventure car through an interdimensional hole into the truly crowded place where all lost things go. There they run into both a tree and treasure hunter Johnny Knucklehead. Johnny, whose head is a giant clenched fist, had been reported lost in the jungle. This meeting is just the beginning of a long series of random encounters during which even the plot is lost (and then found again), Johnny is reunited with his mirror twin, Jimmy, and a lost lucky charm is recovered—only to become a bargaining chip after the adventurers are captured by a peg-legged rabbit pirate. Unlike that elusive plot, Griffiths has no trouble at all keeping firm hold on his intention to keep chortling readers entertained from start to final high-five. Hope’s lively cartoon illustrations add visual action and sight gags to every page, and along with tacking on instructions for a personal homemade adventure helmet, he even takes over occasional two-page spreads for an intricate map, montage, or mini comic.
Give a hand, or two, to this surreal, headlong romp. (Fantasy. 7-10)Pub Date: April 8, 2025
ISBN: 9781250367358
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: Feb. 1, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2025
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
With plenty left to be resolved, the next entry will be eagerly sought after.
Drake has been selected by the king to serve as a Dragon Master, quite a change for an 8-year-old farmer boy.
The dragons are a secret, and the reason King Roland has them is a mystery, but what is clear is that the Dragon Stone has identified Drake as one of the rare few children who have a special connection with dragons and the ability to serve as a trainer. Drake’s dragon is a long brown creature with, at first, no particular talents that Drake can identify. He calls the dragon Worm. It isn’t long before Drake begins to realize he has a very strong connection with Worm and can share what seem to be his dragon’s thoughts. After one of the other Dragon Masters decides to illicitly take the dragons outside, disaster strikes. The cave they are passing through collapses, blocking the passageway, and then Worm’s special talent becomes evident. The first of a new series of early chapter books, this entry is sure to attract fans. Brief chapters, large print, lots of action, attractive illustrations in every spread, including a maplike panorama, an enviable protagonist—who wouldn’t want to be a Dragon Master?—all combine to make an entertaining read.
With plenty left to be resolved, the next entry will be eagerly sought after. (Fantasy. 7-10)Pub Date: Aug. 24, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-545-64624-6
Page Count: 96
Publisher: Branches/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: June 3, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2014
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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