BIG JIM BEGINS

An endearing new character joins the Pilkeyverse.

Big Jim is a large, cheerful purple cat. He shares a cell in Cat Jail with the irascible Grampa, greeting every new day with a song, much to his cellmate’s annoyance. By night, Big Jim “fight[s] for Liberty…and Cupcakes” as Commander Cupcake. Every superhero needs an origin story, and Big Jim’s is this: When he was a baby, a UFO dropped a note declaring Big Jim a chosen one, who would grow up to “fulfill SUPA ANCIENT prophecies.” (Readers will note that Grampa’s origin story reveals some gaps in Big Jim’s.) After deputizing Grampa as sidekick Sprinkles, Big Jim leads them out the Cupcake Exit to “save the world” (Big Jim) and “get out of jail” (Grampa). Mayhem ensues, involving a band of evil Space Cuties From Space and Dog Man in his Scarlet Shedder persona. Punctuated by flashbacks filling out Big Jim’s story and Flip-O-Ramas aplenty, and referencing both Mr. Rogers and Monty Python, this outing is characterized by both Pilkey’s trademark frantic pace and his gentle philosophizing. Big Jim’s life hasn’t been an easy one, which gives his sunny outlook resonance. Even at the story’s close, it “has more loose ends than a spaghetti dinner,” as Grampa complains. Fortunately, a sequel beckons. Human characters display a range of skin tones.

Full of laffs and food for thought, in equal measure.