Whether they prefer outlaws or identify with the good guys, readers will eagerly be turning pages.
The Pinchers—grandma Stola, father Rob, mother Nic, and daughter Ellen—are liars and thieves…except for son Theo.
Theo’s friends with Paul Eessman, the hapless cop next door, and his undeclared ambition is to be a police officer. Theo joins forces with Paul to save Sherlock, the witless family dog, when an authoritarian new officer threatens to impound him, and the family has no receipt to prove ownership; other dogs begin to meet a similar fate. Nic and Ellen resort to harsh tactics: tossing hot coffee in the cop’s face. Rob decides to hide Sherlock with Stola in jail, where she’s been for years. Shockingly, Stola produces a valid receipt (uncharacteristically, for a Pincher, she didn’t steal Sherlock). A hint about the new cop’s identity is soon confirmed, and the focus shifts to Theo’s rescue plan. The book comes to a satisfying close, but loose ends remain to pull readers into the next absorbing, convention-flouting adventure. Vignette illustrations offer zany realism; characters’ clothing cues identify roles. Interludes from Sherlock’s perspective ramp up the humor. Although the language, translated from Swedish, lacks Dav Pilkey’s verve, Dog Man fans will devour this series. Children need not be familiar with the first installment, though they’ll want to go back to it. Characters are light-skinned.
Whether they prefer outlaws or identify with the good guys, readers will eagerly be turning pages. (Chapter book. 6-10)Pub Date: Sept. 10, 2024
ISBN: 9781776575879
Page Count: 96
Publisher: Gecko Press
Review Posted Online: May 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
A strong second outing for Dillard and J.D.
Breakout kid barber J.D. embraces a summer of opportunity.
Readers met J.D. Jones just as he took his hometown of Meridian, Mississippi, by storm, winning himself community acclaim and a chair at the revered Hart and Sons barbershop in series opener J.D. and the Great Barber Battle(2021). What’s next for the haircut prodigy? School’s just getting out, and there’s so much life happening outside—if only one can escape home learning with the grandparents. J.D.’s sister, Vanessa, brings along multitalented mutual friend Jessyka to share an ambitious challenge: “Let’s start a YouTube channel!” Can they get millions of views and wow the whole world? They are already amazing at haircuts and hairstyles—all they need is to learn how to make a great YouTube video. The story models strategies for scripting short videos reflecting the templates of viral YouTube hair tutorials, inviting readers to not only see the journey of the characters, but maybe also practice these skills at home. This book is bound to educate all about some of the most storied and cherished traditions within the Black community. Bringing in Vanessa is a great touch to extend the series across gender, and hopefully she’ll get a chance to lead her own adventures. This book blends skill-building, entrepreneurship, and strong family values to give young Black children visions of what’s possible when they follow their passions and embrace their community.
A strong second outing for Dillard and J.D. (Fiction. 6-9)Pub Date: Aug. 3, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593-11155-0
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Kokila
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2021
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
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