The setup for Volume 3 at the close means more medieval mischief on the way; cue further chortles.
A young king can’t stand by when a monster terrorizes a neighboring country…but adventures can be dangerous.
King Edwin Flashypants is just 9, so he still administers his country, Edwinland, with the help of Minister Jill (who has some less-than-yummy ideas about vegetables) and Megan the Jester (who shares Edwin’s love of candy). When a hermit named Baxter comes running into the village (seemingly wearing only a beard), Edwin learns the many-eyed Voolith is attacking the people of Crong, which is situated north of neighboring Nurbisonia. Something must be done! Meanwhile, the wicked Emperor Nurbison of Nurbisonia is enjoying the influx of new subjects fleeing the Voolith. Nurbison hatches the kind of dastardly, evil plan he’s famous for (in his own mind, at least) to rid himself of Edwin and gain control of everything. Can the many candy shops of Edwinland be preserved? Riley’s second King Flashypants tale of folderol and foolishness is as much fun as the first (think Monty Python and the Holy Grail for 7-year-olds), with a bit of poo-humor thrown in for giggles. The author’s cartoon illustrations combine with occasional trickery of typesetting to hit the right mix of deadpan and slapstick. Minister Jill and Baxter appear to have dark skin, while the rest of the primary characters are pale; background characters are diverse.
The setup for Volume 3 at the close means more medieval mischief on the way; cue further chortles. (Humor. 7-10)Pub Date: March 27, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-62779-811-2
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: Feb. 2, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2018
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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