Two thumbs up for this delightful movie-themed romp.
When mayhem erupts and a weapon of mass destruction falls into the wrong hands, Eowulf returns to save the day.
In this second graphic offering following Eowulf: Of Monsters & Middle School (2024), New Jersey native Eowulf Wegmund (a descendant of Beowulf) is working at Vulcan’s Celestial Supply Shop. She receives an assignment from Vulcan, and not a moment too soon: She’d do just about anything to get out of cleaning her messy room. She’s tasked with guarding Balor’s Helm, a powerful helmet—and “one of the most destructive magical artifacts in history”— that’s being used as a prop on a movie set. At the Metropolitan Studios in Queens, she meets the monster stars Umo Klegginshredder and Vexla Verhoon. While on set, Eowulf learns that actors have been disappearing, including Umo’s dear friend Grogin Bransgoery—and when the helmet is stolen, Eowulf is on the case. Cavallaro’s sequel is bright and boisterous, blending vibrant, cinematic illustrations with engaging storytelling; it’s a great jumping-in point for new readers and a thrill for those already familiar with the first entry. Like its predecessor, this work features a strong emphasis on friendship and family, spotlighting the importance of human (and monster!) connection. Light-skinned, redheaded Eowulf is surrounded by a racially diverse supporting cast. The story draws from Irish, Finnish, and other world mythologies; fans of Rick Riordan’s expansive oeuvre will find much to enjoy here.
Two thumbs up for this delightful movie-themed romp. (Graphic fantasy. 8-12)Pub Date: Feb. 10, 2026
ISBN: 9781250335944
Page Count: 192
Publisher: First Second
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Hugely entertaining, timely, and triumphant.
Robot Roz undertakes an unusual ocean journey to save her adopted island home in this third series entry.
When a poison tide flowing across the ocean threatens their island, Roz works with the resident creatures to ensure that they will have clean water, but the destruction of vegetation and crowding of habitats jeopardize everyone’s survival. Brown’s tale of environmental depredation and turmoil is by turns poignant, graceful, endearing, and inspiring, with his (mostly) gentle robot protagonist at its heart. Though Roz is different from the creatures she lives with or encounters—including her son, Brightbill the goose, and his new mate, Glimmerwing—she makes connections through her versatile communication abilities and her desire to understand and help others. When Roz accidentally discovers that the replacement body given to her by Dr. Molovo is waterproof, she sets out to seek help and discovers the human-engineered source of the toxic tide. Brown’s rich descriptions of undersea landscapes, entertaining conversations between Roz and wild creatures, and concise yet powerful explanations of the effect of the poison tide on the ecology of the island are superb. Simple, spare illustrations offer just enough glimpses of Roz and her surroundings to spark the imagination. The climactic confrontation pits oceangoing mammals, seabirds, fish, and even zooplankton against hardware and technology in a nicely choreographed battle. But it is Roz’s heroism and peacemaking that save the day.
Hugely entertaining, timely, and triumphant. (author’s note) (Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Sept. 26, 2023
ISBN: 9780316669412
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Aug. 26, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2023
Is this the end? Well, no…the series will stagger on through at least one more scheduled sequel.
Sure signs that the creative wells are running dry at last, the Captain’s ninth, overstuffed outing both recycles a villain (see Book 4) and offers trendy anti-bullying wish fulfillment.
Not that there aren’t pranks and envelope-pushing quips aplenty. To start, in an alternate ending to the previous episode, Principal Krupp ends up in prison (“…a lot like being a student at Jerome Horwitz Elementary School, except that the prison had better funding”). There, he witnesses fellow inmate Tippy Tinkletrousers (aka Professor Poopypants) escape in a giant Robo-Suit (later reduced to time-traveling trousers). The villain sets off after George and Harold, who are in juvie (“not much different from our old school…except that they have library books here.”). Cut to five years previous, in a prequel to the whole series. George and Harold link up in kindergarten to reduce a quartet of vicious bullies to giggling insanity with a relentless series of pranks involving shaving cream, spiders, effeminate spoof text messages and friendship bracelets. Pilkey tucks both topical jokes and bathroom humor into the cartoon art, and ups the narrative’s lexical ante with terms like “pharmaceuticals” and “theatrical flair.” Unfortunately, the bullies’ sad fates force Krupp to resign, so he’s not around to save the Earth from being destroyed later on by Talking Toilets and other invaders…
Is this the end? Well, no…the series will stagger on through at least one more scheduled sequel. (Fantasy. 10-12)Pub Date: Aug. 28, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-545-17534-0
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: June 19, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2012
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