This novel has just enough farts that no one will accuse it of being mushy.
Bug Blonsky isn’t known for his positive attitude.
While he’s on a camping trip, Bug makes a list of “Terrible Things To Avoid,” which includes several of the other scouts along with “rubbery hot dogs,” “rabbit poop,” and “the outhouse.” Fans of bathroom humor will be very fond of this novel. But Bug has one idealistic quality. He believes that Bigfoot “for sure is totally 100 percent real.” This does very little to improve his relationships with the other campers, who tend to say that Bigfoot doesn’t exist—or walk into the Bigfoot trap Bug has set outside the bunkhouse. But by the end of the story, some of those campers are nominating him for a Steadfast Scout patch for his faith and bravery. Anyone who loved the first Bug Blonsky book, which was crammed with frogs and armpit farts, will find the same sort of jokes here, but they may also love the moments of sweetness. There are surprisingly—shockingly—many. The style of illustration, however, is very much the same. The characters are essentially very elaborate stick figures, with one important difference: Their ears are drawn right near the bottoms of their faces, as in the old song “Do Your Ears Hang Low?” Many of the main characters are White, including Bug, but Bug’s best friend, Louie, is Black.
This novel has just enough farts that no one will accuse it of being mushy. (Fiction. 6-10)Pub Date: April 13, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-5362-0676-0
Page Count: 96
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: March 1, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021
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
A welcome, well-researched reflection of cultural pride in the early-reader landscape.
The fourth installment in Delacre’s early-reader series centers on the rich musical traditions of Puerto Rico, once again featuring sibling tree frogs Rafi and Rosi Coquí.
Readers learn along with Rafi and Rosi as they explore bomba, plena, and salsa in three chapters. A glossary at the beginning sets readers up well to understand the Spanish vocabulary, including accurate phoneticization for non-Spanish speakers. The stories focus on Rafi and Rosi’s relationship within a musical context. For example, in one chapter Rafi finds out that he attracts a larger audience playing his homemade güiro with Rosi’s help even though he initially excluded her: “Big brothers only.” Even when he makes mistakes, as the older brother, Rafi consoles Rosi when she is embarrassed or angry at him. In each instance, their shared joy for music and dance ultimately shines through any upsets—a valuable reflection of unity. Informational backmatter and author’s sources are extensive. Undoubtedly these will help teachers, librarians, and parents to develop Puerto Rican cultural programs, curriculum, or home activities to extend young readers’ learning. The inclusion of instructions to make one’s own homemade güiro is a thoughtful addition. The Spanish translation, also by Delacre and published simultaneously, will require a more advanced reader than the English one to recognize and comprehend contractions (“pa’bajo-pa-pa’rriba”) and relatively sophisticated vocabulary.
A welcome, well-researched reflection of cultural pride in the early-reader landscape. (Early reader. 7-9)Pub Date: Sept. 17, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-89239-429-6
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Children's Book Press
Review Posted Online: July 27, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2019
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