Dragon Puncher is fierce and fearless and ferocious and he has no time for the small, furry, annoying Spoony-E. But Spoony-E has a secret weapon: his spoony! With it he can help Dragon Puncher defeat the stinky, vile dragon.
Kochalka’s off-beat humor works perhaps even better here than it does in his Johnny Boo books. He’s found just the right blend of sarcasm, silliness, and action to appeal to both child readers and to adults reading this with their kids. The Dragon Puncher is all powerful, too important for the little Spoony-E, but kids will cheer when Spoony helps save the day in the end. Don’t think, though, that Kochalka means to make this a “very special tale” about “working together.” This story is all about fun and he offers it up in waves. There’s stinky breath, slimy drool, and, mostly importantly, a wooden spoon. And as any small child knows, even the most innocuous wooden spoon (or stick or cardboard box) can be a powerful tool with the right imagination.
Readers will also love Kochalka’s art in this story….
This review was originally posted at Good Comics for Kids. Please visit the original post to see the rest of the review.
Dragon Puncher
James Kochalka
ISBN 978-1-60309-057-5
Top Shelf, July 2010
