A buddy-comedy Christmas pursuit full of hijinks that trips over an uneven tone.
In this graphic novel spinoff from Walstead and Andy Elkerton’s wildly popular How To Catch picture-book series, a dog and a dragon set their sights on capturing an elf.
On Christmas Eve, Yuletide-loving Pup gives Dragon, who is not the least bit familiar with Christmas, a rundown on Santa Claus. “The kids”—presumably from Walstead and Elkerton’s previous books—have set elf traps in the neighboring houses, and Pup and Dragon decide to help them. They spot Santa and an elf, both light-skinned, sitting down to milk and cookies in one house, then chase them into neighboring homes. Each excursion sees the pair navigating traps, though Santa and the elf always get away. In the end, the time Pup and Dragon spend together strengthens their friendship and teaches Dragon some things about Christmas. Readers are as likely to be on board with the elf-hunting premise as they are to be confused at how many times Pup and Dragon are unfazed at seeing Santa Claus in person (shouldn’t Pup in particular be thrilled to encounter him?). Dragon’s sarcastic sense of humor and fourth-wall breaks feel at odds with the holiday setting. Then again, a grocery store scene involving a giant food cannon and an eggnog slide could be signs of a madcap randomness that isn’t meant to be scrutinized. The artwork is at its most expressive in the few times when the duo’s dialogue isn’t filling the page.
A buddy-comedy Christmas pursuit full of hijinks that trips over an uneven tone. (how to draw Pup and Dragon) (Graphic fiction. 6-9)Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2023
ISBN: 9781728270517
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: Aug. 12, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
Models attention to detail and deductive reasoning in a fun beach setting, complete with interesting facts.
Beachcombers and shell seekers, gather ’round and meet Shelby and Watts, Planetary Investigators.
When Fred the hermit crab can’t find a new, larger shell to move into, he seeks out the “brilliant brains” of Shelby and Watts. Shelby, a fox, is the detective in the duo, and Watts, a badger, loves facts, adding simple fun ones—about hermit crabs, tides, tide-pool dwellers, how shells are used, etc.—throughout the story. Watts also loves to catalog clues in his notebook. In fact, the first mystery that Shelby solves is that of Watts’ lost notebook. Young readers can watch Shelby investigate, solve, and explain her deductive process, all while learning to carefully examine all the details in each graphic panel. Once the missing shells are found, it’s “time for the hermit crab shuffle,” in which the members of a colony of hermit crabs all line up and trade up to larger homes. Final pages include “Earth-Saving Tips from Shelby & Watts,” such as taking pictures of shells instead of collecting them, eating seafood from sustainable sources, and cleaning up the beach. The seven chapters are of varying length, but with several one-panel pages and many pages with low word count, the book is shorter than it appears, which should be a confidence boost for young readers. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Models attention to detail and deductive reasoning in a fun beach setting, complete with interesting facts. (Graphic early reader/mystery. 6-9)Pub Date: Aug. 24, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593-20531-0
Page Count: 96
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: June 1, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2021
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