QUEST KIDS AND THE DRAGON PANTS OF GOLD

A gaggle of youngsters set off on their first quest.

The Quest Kids crew are a varied lot: There’s Gil, a wizard-in-training; Terra, a 700-year-old elf child; and Boulder, a friendly rock troll who is better at preparing meals than vanquishing enemies. There’s also Ash, a pig/dog/lizard sort of thing that brings a lot of flatulence to the table. And finally, there’s Ned, the boldly (and somewhat overly) optimistic leader with his own personal quest to find his missing parents. The adventurers are tasked with discovering the golden-fleeced rage beast. Once the beast is quelled or slain, they must shave it and create a golden tracksuit jacket as an offering to a disgruntled dragon. The party bounces from scene to scene, flashing gags at a breakneck pace, with characters spouting funny one-liners. Young readers dipping their toes into fantasy realms will find plenty to enjoy here. The characterization is sharp, the jokes land, and the inner workings of the magical kingdom make just enough sense that things don’t completely fall apart. The novel is presented in a familiar half-prose, half-comics style. The illustrations bounce along as quickly as the text, making this a bubbly read, one that quickly grabs attention and doesn’t require much hand-holding. Ned reads White; Gil and Terra have slightly darker skin.

A rip-roaring good time.