This is the sixth and last Guinea PI adventure. While I still love Sasspants, Hamisher, and all their friends with all my heart, I have to say that this conclusion was somewhat disappointing.
If you haven’t encountered Sasspants and her friends previously, she is a guinea pig who loves to read and has solved quite a few mysteries (mostly against her will) at the behest of her sometimes friend, sometimes annoyance, Hamisher the hamster. In previous books she realized that she wasn’t really looking for an owner; what she prefers is to stay with all her friends in Mr. Venezi’s pet shop. Fortunately, in book five, Raining Cats and Detectives, Mr. Venezi decided not to sell his animals in the future. Mr. Venezi is confused to the point of serious head injury, but he’s been working hard on actually identifying all the animals and generally figuring out how the world works.
In this last adventure, Sasspants has hung up her detective hat and settled down to a happy life in Mr. Venezi’s store, now selling “stuff.” Unfortunately, things aren’t going so well. Mr. Venezi’s penchant for purchasing walrus toothbrushes and other strange paraphernalia is getting his shop in trouble and he’s spending more time worrying about his crush on Charlotte, the bookstore owner next door, than on his bills (he thinks they’re fan mail for the birds anyways). Then Charlotte’s daughter, Bree, becomes interested in dragons and that leads to treasure and…could there really be a dragon in Mr. Venezi’s store? Sasspants and Hamisher will have to team up one last time if they’re going to solve the mystery and save their pet family, not to mention Mr. Venezi’s livelihood. The book ends with a rather wandering section on guinea pigs and hamsters that touches on breeds, history, and etymology.
The story still has all the silly and sweet elements I’ve come to expect from Guinea PI; the hamster dramas were particularly hilarious, but what really tipped me over into annoyance territory was Mr. Venezi’s cluelessness. Over six books, all he’s really learned is a few animal names. How has he stayed in business if he thinks bills are fan letters to the birds? There doesn’t seem to be any reason for Charlotte, a successful store owner and veteran of at least one romantic relationship, to be attracted to the terminally confused Mr. Venezi. The solution felt contrived and there really wasn’t much development in the characters or plot. It felt like the author thought “well, I have to end this somehow…”
The illustrations are still, as always, charming and sweet without being sentimental. Sasspants is still sturdy and a bit of a loner, but she’s a much more friendly and happy animal, as shown in her more relaxed facial expressions and frequent smiles. Hamisher is still a little drama-hamster, but he’s relaxed a bit as well and is on a bit more equal footing with Sasspants, delightfully shown in his polite but horrified face when he looks at her artwork. Each animal has a fully developed personality that has grown over the course of the series, and they’re recognizable not just by their species and behavior, but by the personality that shows in how they’re drawn. The snake is slightly cynical and snarky, shown with quick little movements of his tail and a dip of the eyelid, and the turtle is friendly but clueless, as he moves slowly through the story, following his own trail of thoughts.
While I found the plot disappointing in this final book in the series, the series as a whole is still definitely worth purchasing for your library. I wouldn’t recommend the final book as a stand-alone, but you’ll want to read the first five books anyways. It’s a perfect series for reading aloud, for beginning readers, and for all those who love guinea pig detectives, excitable hamsters, and a little silliness.
Guinea Pig, Pet Shop Private Eye # 6: Going, Going, Dragon! by Colleen AF Venable Art by Stephanie Yue ISBN: 9780761360094 Lerner Graphic Universe, 2013
William’s sister, Helise, has run away. William feels responsible; he knew she was distressed over their mother’s remarriage, didn’t believe their father was dead, and had some frightening ideas about their mother, but he didn’t listen. He sets off in search of Helise and finds a wandering knight, Sir Brabant. A good thing, since he has plunged into the dangerous medieval fantasy world they live in, where villagers can be murdered by vagabonds and every stranger could be a dangerous enemy.
They seek refuge with a sorceress and William is badly wounded. In the second part of the story, he enters a strange land, encountering frightening monsters, mystical beings, and the great Christian king Prester John. But who are the real monsters and is his father really alive somewhere in this strange land? When William returns to the sorceress’s home, he finds Helise and more questions: was he hallucinating, or was his strange journey real? With the help of Sir Brabant and some determined deeds of their own, William and Helise move on to find a new life. There is no happy ending for everyone — as William says, “There are no winners here.” But they accept what they cannot change and look forward to the future.
The author and artist have created a fascinating medieval world that seems like it’s straight out of a history book until the fantastic elements come to life. An additional section at the end, “The World of William and the Lost Spirit,” adds more information about the class system and various characters from the book, such as the seneschal and the knights. There’s also a section explaining the different monsters and fantasy creatures, which were all taken from medieval monsters, and their origins. The back matter also includes several pages of discussion starters and questions focusing on gender, religion, and various tropes and conflicts in the story.
The art is a good match for the story and I especially liked the way the backgrounds of the panels shift to match the settings and moods. When William is fleeing dangerous men, the woods are glowing in warning shades of red and orange. Nighttime adventures are shaded in dark blues and William’s adventures in the Land of Truth show oddly green skies. The illustrations are skillfully drawn with sharp, bright colors and lines and there is no danger of the artistry overtaking the story. The amount of text varies, but dialogue is kept to a minimum in the action scenes, and the story has a strong balance of action told through the art and important points in the plot highlighted in the text.
This story took me a while to get into, as medieval fantasies aren’t my favorite genre, but once I’d read through it a few times I found it sparked off a lot of interesting ideas and I enjoyed the art and storyline. However, I’d have a hard time figuring out exactly where in the library to place this or what audience to give it to. There is a certain amount of blood and death. Several monsters are killed with a certain amount of splatter and there are destroyed villages and slaughtered peasants, although nothing too gory. There are mature themes hinted at in the philosophical discussions of William’s father’s beliefs and the dialogues with William’s mother. At least a contextual knowledge of medieval beliefs and culture is needed to really grasp the full context of the story. The publisher recommends it for teens ages 13-18 and I’d agree that’s probably the age group that would be able to handle all the elements of the story. The problem is that William is a fairly young thirteen-year-old and I simply can’t think of any teen, at least at my library, who would be interested in this type of medieval fantasy, especially with the philosophical and religious elements that are such an important part of the story.
William and the Lost Spirit by Gwen de Bonneval Art by Matthieu Bonhomme ISBN: 9781467708074 Lerner, 2013 Publisher Age Rating: 13-18
Mortensen continues his exciting but confusing adventures in time in The Red Ruby and The Secret Mummy. I had hoped that the confusion in the first two volumes — especially in Santa Fe Jail — would be cleared up (I am a very hopeful person) but no such luck.
The Red Ruby is the most linear of the stories so far. Mortensen hops back and forth through time from 1937 to 1993, with a side trip to Burma in 1802 and the Titanic in 1912, as he tracks down a fabulous ruby. There are gang members, a naïve but sweet librarian, and help for Mortensen in unexpected places throughout the story. In the end, Mortensen manages to repair time and the villains are foiled…for now. The back matter includes information on the Titanic, rubies and ruby mines, the Hope Diamond, and Versailles.
The Secret Mummy is so bewildering I’m not even sure how to describe it. First of all, it’s not about a mummy at all, it’s about vampires. Are they real or is it a scientific hoax carried out through time? There are sarcophagi in the plot, but only as a minor element in the criminal schemes and Mortensen’s unmasking. The real plot of the story is a medical crime and involves the history of medicine. There’s also a side trip into the Bosnian war and the United Nations’ involvement.
The art continues in the same style as the first two titles and is the most attractive element of the books. It easily reminds the reader of many of the classic comic detectives, including Tintin, but has a brisk, sketchy quality. The characters are never repeated and even within the confines of caricature each has an individual quality.
What annoys me most about these books, besides the random jumping back and forth in time and confusing plots, is the way they constantly hint at a larger, overarching plot. Each story begins with the same introduction, saying that time is being re-written and time agents have to repair it. The introduction implies that there’s some vast conspiracy, but each of the books introduces a totally unrelated set of characters. At the end of The Red Ruby, the villain says she will come back and Mortensen promises they will continue to track her through time, but the fourth book starts a completely different plot with different villains. Despite the constant hints, by the fourth book there’s no connecting theme or plot other than Mortensen wandering through history solving crimes.
The idea behind this series is good and the art is engaging, two reasons I kept working through the series up to the fourth book. Kids’ resurgence of interest in Tintin and in mystery/time fantasy novel series like 39 Clues and Infinity Ring would have made Mortensen a good pick. However, it’s clear by this time that the plots simply don’t work. Either they don’t translate well to English or they never made sense in the first place. Hopefully Lerner will try the popular adventure/nonfiction mix again with a different series.
Mortensen’s Escapades, vol. 3: The Red Ruby by Lars Jakobsen ISBN: 9780761379140 Mortensen’s Escapades, vol. 4: The Secret Mummy by Lars Jakobsen ISBN 9780761379157 Lerner Graphic Universe, 2013
Lerner Graphic Universe continues their Summer Camp Science Mysteries in volumes 5 through 8. The basic format of these stories is a quick introduction to a selection of campers and counselors, a mix of hijinks and science experiments, a slightly spooky mystery, and a scientific solution followed by experiments you can do at home, a glossary, and additional facts.
The Missing Cuckoo Clock teaches about the science of gravity as well as a gentle lesson on admitting mistakes. The campers learn a number of facts about gravity and how to perform several science tricks with this force as well as learning a little humility and kindness. The Whispering Lake Ghosts features spooky voices and is, appropriately, about the science of sound. There are lots of scary thunderstorms, a lost-in-the-woods episode, and some interesting facts about how sound, especially thunder and echoes, works. The Great Space Case solves the mysteries of the stars and the mystery of who’s cheating on the astronomy competition/scavenger hunt. The kids get to see an eclipse and learn a lot of different facts about astronomy. The Yucky Duck Rescue tackles the issue of pollution and the kids go on a scavenger hunt to find out what’s wrong with the water on their lake and how they can help fix it.
Each of these mysteries has enough plot and dialogue to carry the plethora of scientific facts and experiments without getting too bogged down or reading like an infodump. The didactic lessons on the side about cheating, friendship, and kindness are lightly done and feel realistic within the setting of the stories. The science is explained in simple terms and the science experiments are easy to duplicate. The titles have two different artists, Der-Shing Helmer and German Torres, but their styles work together smoothly, so there’s no confusing transition. The artwork is a little reminiscent of Raina Telgemier’s work, with strong colors and lines, crisp images and settings, and lots of expression in the kids’ eyes. The various characters are easily distinguishable and there’s plenty of mild humor in their facial expressions and behavior. The settings are neatly done, showing a beautiful wilderness area for the camp without getting in the way of the stories. Some of the illustrations of the experiments within the stories make it a little hard to pick out the details, but the text clears up any confusion. The weakest of the four volumes is The Yucky Duck Rescue. The “solution” to the pollution problems is rather simplistic and the farmer is an overly stereotypical character. The story as a whole isn’t very realistic, but kids will want to read the adventures in order, so I wouldn’t skip it if you’re buying the whole set.
These aren’t great literature, but they do an excellent job of explaining scientific concepts in a fun and relatable way. The first four volumes are very popular at my library; kids who enjoy science, mysteries, and comics can’t get enough of this fun mixture of the genres. If the library bound titles are out of your budget, Lerner’s paperback editions are quite sturdy and have held together well for us. These are titles even parents who dislike graphic novels will be pleased to hand to their kids and they would make great additions to the science curriculum for a school.
Summer Camp Science Mysteries, vol. 5-8 by Lynda Beauregard #5 Missing Cuckoo Clock illustrated by Der-Shing Helmer ISBN: 9781467707336 #6 Whispering Lake Ghost illustrated by German Torres ISBN: 9781467707343 #7 Great Space Case illustrated by Der-Shing Helmer ISBN: 9781467707350 #8 Yucky Duck Rescue illustrated by German Torres ISBN: 9781467707367 Lerner Graphic Universe, 2013 Publisher Age Rating: 8-12
I enjoyed the first Mortensen story, The Mysterious Manuscript, but had hoped there would be more information about, well, everything in this sequel. Unfortunately, when I finished reading this story I found myself even more confused.
The same forward from the previous book is repeated, telling us a time gun has been created and that time agents now have to solve time crimes. Then the story opens in New Mexico, 1973, where a mysterious man in an anachronistic hat is walking across the desert with a briefcase chained to his wrist. Then we move to London at the same time, where Lord Guinness is trying to hire time agent Mortensen to escort Dr. William Jensen, an expert on rare metals, or no, apparently Jensen has been kidnapped and they want Mortensen to rescue him. Mortensen agrees to deliver a map to the kidnapper, the ransom being buried in the Santa Fe desert. On the plane, Mortensen is drugged by a mysterious woman who resembles Lord Guinness’ confidential maid, and wakes up in a cargo plane with a scruffy pilot. Turn the page and we’re in Budapest, 1901, where Beth Jensen is looking for her husband with a smarmy guy who tells her that he’s probably been hidden in time. Then Mortensen and the pilot have to bail out from the plane. They get captured by natives, but rescued by a scientist, Kathryn. The action keeps bopping back and forth from Beth, who finds her husband in 1901, to Mortensen, Kathryn, and the pilot, to the mysterious man in the desert with the ransom. After many more confusing trips, Mortensen figures out the rare metals deal was a scam and it ends with the same mysterious man in the desert, only in 1873 (thus explaining the hat) and a voice saying “Checkmate, Dr. Einstein!” from a building.
The informational sections at the back include essays on “Jailhouses in the Old Days”, patent medicine, The Black Cruise, Iringa, Tanzania, Nazis and meteors. The art is consistent with the first book, lots of small panels, caricatured faces, and neatly drawn backgrounds.
Unfortunately, the story doesn’t make any sense. Most of the time it is difficult to figure out where or when the characters are, let alone what they’re doing. Mortensen is supposed to be tracking down clues, but seems to spend most of the story wandering from time to time. New characters are introduced with a minimum of backstory and explanation and there are no continuing characters, besides Mortensen, from the first book. Of course, the time guns pop up and disappear regularly and Mortensen frowns fiercely over a variety of confusing clues, but none of this is a substitute for an actual, linear plot. According to the publisher, Mortensen’s Escapades is a highly popular comic strip in Denmark, and I can’t but wonder if the confusing plot is due to a poor translation or perhaps the story makes more sense if you read one strip a week, rather than trying to follow the story all at once.
I really wanted to like this series, but so far the scattered and confusing plot, random characters, and bewildering time jumps make it a difficult read. It’s certainly not something I’d hand to a kid looking for adventure comics or Tintin read-alikes.
Mortensen’s Escapades, vol. 2: Santa Fe Jail by Lars Jakobsen ISBN: 9780822594215 Lerner Graphic Universe, 2012
I had high hopes of this series when I first read the descriptions. Lerner’s Graphic Universe does some really good graphic novels for kids and this sounded like something not only my kids at the library but I myself would enjoy; a great Tintin read-alike with time travel and historical facts.
The story is introduced with a foreword explaining that a “time gun” has been created, allowing people to travel back in time. However, it has been stolen by villains and now agents are battling time crimes all over the world. It also gives a brief explanation of the rules for this particular time travel device “It is not possible to change your own destiny. Every living person has a beginning and an end that cannot be rewritten. Who knows, maybe your next-door neighbor was born in 1929 and is now 21 years old.”
This seems rather contradictory and doesn’t really explain how the time travel works in the ensuing story. However, moving on, we meet Mortensen, one of the agents fighting time crimes, in Denmark, 1929. He is meeting an antique bookseller who has discovered a rare medieval text…with a picture of an airplane. Mortensen travels back to Scotland, 1512, and is captured before he can fix the time anomaly. He is rescued by a man named Mandrake, who seems to be some kind of wizard and is the person who wrote the book Mortensen is trying to track down. Mandrake helps Mortensen escape and takes him to a witch named Blossom. She’s mute but clever. In fact, she seems to know far too much for an uneducated peasant woman and Mortensen discovers that she has a secret room full of books from the crashed plane depicted in the ancient manuscript. She sadly agrees to destroy the books and other evidence of the plane crash and Mortensen travels back to 1929, only to discover Blossom was burned as a witch. A little more time manipulation and Blossom is saved, the time crime is stopped, the criminal uncovered, and Mortensen has a new partner.
Additional material includes information on illuminated manuscripts, the history of bicycles, witch hunts, dungeons, and historic libraries, all things Mortensen encounters on his journey. The art has a classic adventure story feel. Mortensen and the other protagonists all have distinctive characteristics; Mortensen has a long oblong face and messy hair, Mandrake a wilting mustache and bewildered, bugged-out eyes. Then there’s the demure Blossom, who has short hair and appears to be wearing lipstick, a time anomaly for 1512 indeed. The panels fit closely together, cramming as much action into each page as possible, although some panels show only a single face or movement. The characters are to the forefront of most of the artwork, leaving the backgrounds and settings vague. This story is all about the action, not the characters. We never learn Mortensen’s first name or his motivations for being a time agent. Blossom is described as clever, but her willingness to risk her life for Mortensen for no apparent reason is a bit odd. Since she can’t speak, and has no way to communicate with Mortensen other than gestures, it’s hard to figure out what she’s thinking. Her face is pretty, but has no real changes of expression.
The premise of Mortensen’s Escapades is intriguing and there’s plenty of action and adventure, but I found myself wanting more information on the time travel, Mortensen’s agency, Blossom’s history and thoughts, and Mortensen himself. At less than 50 pages, there isn’t room for much information or backstory. Hopefully the sequels will flesh out the characters more. The additional historical information is a facet of many of Lerner’s fiction offerings and something I’ve found my young patrons really love. This isn’t a perfect book, but it’s an enjoyable, all-ages, classic adventure story that fans of Tintin and kids interested in history will eagerly enjoy.
Mortensen’s Escapades, vol. 1: The Mysterious Manuscript by Lars Jakobsen ISBN: 9780822594093 Lerner Graphic Universe, 2012
In the first two volumes, Lou and her mom dealt with first love, growing relationships, a dismal summer with the grumpy Memaw, and acquired a kitten. Now Lou’s mom has finally sold her book and has a steady relationship with Richard, while Lou is ready to tackle being a teenager, she hopes.
The opening endpapers of the third volume, Down in the Dumps, are set as a board game. They recap the events of the previous two books and end with Lou turning thirteen. The tone of this book is reflective and focuses on the difficult changes Lou and her best friend Mina face. For the first time, they’re in different classes and, after a misunderstanding, they get stuck with two different girls who aren’t at all their type. Mary Emily never stops talking and it’s hard to get Karen to say anything. The friendship squabbles of the girls are the surface story, but underneath and threaded through the art is the theme of change and growing pains. Lou is scared, worried, and depressed, but with the help of old and new friends, her mom, and Richard, she struggles through and the story ends on a high point with a ridiculous party in the junkyard and the prospect of a summer at the beach. The final endpapers profile Lou’s new friends, Mary Emily and Karen.
The fourth volume, The Perfect Summer, returns to the lighter tone of the first two books, but adds in lots of romantic angst. Lou and Mina are thrilled to be spending the summer at Mary Emily’s fancy beach house and are only slightly daunted by Mary Emily’s relentless dislike of her mother, her father’s indifference, and Karen’s refusal to get into the spirit of summer. Lou is all ready to try out some boy hunting skills with the hot boys she and Mary Emily have found when she sees someone who looks familiar — Tristan, her crush from the first book. From there on out it’s a wild ride as Lou tries to figure out what whether she’s still interested in Tristan or not, if she cares that he seems to be interested in Mary Emily, and whether she should make a move on Paul, the odd but super nice boy she met at her grandmother’s last summer. While Lou is having a crazy summer at the beach, her mom is going on her first book tour with Richard and it’s not quite what she expected. It all ends with a wild pool party and laughter. Lou is back at home, ready for fourteen, with special memories of a wonderful summer.
Neel stays with the mixture of differently-sized panels, pastel colors, and clever use of small details in these further adventures. Down in the Dumps features lots of panels with soft browns and grays, showing Lou’s struggle with the many changes in her life. There are moments of cartoon goofiness, as Lou does a crazy dance with her mom and Richard in a bookstore to celebrate her book release, and a whole page of tiny panels involving an octopus. Sepia-toned panels show glimpses back into Lou’s childhood and her mom’s youth, while Lou’s feverish dreams are in blazing reds and pinks. The Perfect Summer shows the mercurial changes in the characters’ romantic relationships and emotions with a rapid change of background shades. One page will be full of glowing sun and busy details of Lou’s exciting summer, then a sudden flip to relentless gray as Lou’s mom realizes her book tour isn’t all she expected. The boys’ discussions of girls are hilariously shown in cool blue as they try to pretend they’re experienced in a subject they clearly don’t know much about. The characters are all clearly defined, wearing mostly the same clothing and hairstyles throughout the story, but their body language and facial expression keeps the story fresh and moving, even when it’s just talking (or grimacing) heads.
The first two titles were on the line between middle grade and teen, but I’d put these in young adult, as Lou is thirteen. Perfect Summer has kissing, lots of discussion of dating, relationships, and the girls wear skimpy bikinis in most of the pool scenes. Paul’s age is discussed for the first time and we discover that he’s actually several years older than Lou, but as he clearly sees her as a fun little sister, it’s not an issue. The mild innuendo makes it a doubtful choice for a school library, but it should be fine in a public library.
This series will have a lot of appeal to preteen and young teen girls who want a story with lots of drama, humor, and romance, but aren’t ready for anything too serious yet. The treatment of Lou’s friendship troubles and mild depression are light but taken seriously and there are lots of gentle reminders that things change and feelings aren’t permanent. I enjoyed the continuation of Lou’s experience and her growing pains are realistic but given a humorous treatment that will appeal to young readers. Hand this series to fans of Amelia Rules and Raina Telgemeier’s Smile and Drama.
Lou, vol. 3-4: Down in the Dumps and The Perfect Summer by Julien Neel Vol. 3: Down in the Dumps, ISBN: 9780761387794 Vol. 4: The Perfect Summer, ISBN: 9780761387800 Lerner Graphic Universe, 2012 Publisher Age Rating:
Sasspants is back! The reclusive, mystery-reading guinea pig is ready for another adventure, along with her sometimes friend, sometimes annoying sidekick Hamisher. In her fifth adventure, Mr. Venezi is taking lessons on how to identify animals from Viola. She hopes to earn enough money to purchase Janice, Clarisse, and Mr. Sparkles, the chinchillas and their pet mouse.
Being purchased is looking like a definite possibility and Sasspants is thinking having an owner might not be so bad after all. What kind of owner would she like? When her dream owner walks through the door, it looks like happily-ever-after…except that Hamisher has to be left behind. Not only Hamisher, but a mystery involving a missing cat, a reward, and a pet store full of would-be detectives is waiting back at the pet store. Will Sasspants be happy with a real detective owner and a home full of books, or is something missing? (Hint: It’s not just Tummytickles the cat!) The story finishes up with some fun nonfiction bonuses: Hamisher’s explanation of cats and some awesome real-life animal detectives.
Yue’s art is, as always, a joy. Full of visual jokes, delightfully fluffy animals, shocked guinea pigs, and goldfish wearing fedoras, it’s the perfect complement to Venable’s text. The story is a simple one about friendship, but the funny and touching details in the art add depth and plenty of giggles to the plot. The layout of this series is inspired. It’s small enough to make children feel like they’re reading a chapter book rather than a picture book, but the trim size is a nice large square with room for a clean, simple panel arrangement. The dialogue bubbles are easy to follow and have a large, readable font. I was delighted at how skillfully the author and illustrator grow their characters without taking them over the heads of their young audience or descending into clichés. Sasspants still mostly prefers a quiet life with her books, but she’s gotten interested in the mysteries around her as well, thanks to the bombastic Hamisher. His sense of drama has been toned down a bit, as he has to deal with being on his own for the first time, but he’s never down for long.
Funny, sweet, and adorable, but never overly cute, every library should have this series for their beginning readers. They are available only in paperback and library bound and I don’t often say this, but these are definitely worth the price of the library bound edition.
Guinea Pig, Pet Shop Private Eye, #5: Raining Cats and Detectives by Colleen AF Venable Art by Stephanie Yue ISBN: 9780761385417 Lerner Graphic Universe, 2012
This is the fourth story in the Mr. Badger and Mrs. Fox series. In the first story, Mrs. Fox and her cub Ginger lose their home and move in with Mr. Badger and his three cubs. All of the following stories explore how the very different families learn to live together.
In Peace and Quiet, winter is on its way and Ginger is excited and wants to play. But badger cub Grub just wants to be left alone and take naps. Then winter arrives and the families are cooped up together. Younger badger cubs Bristle and Berry are soon squabbling with Ginger and everyone is annoying Grub. After a little time apart and some gentle guidance from the adults, the children learn to compromise, make adjustments for different personalities, and Grub gets a special surprise and a little peace and quiet all to himself.
The art is lovely, especially in the soft, hazy backgrounds. The changing seasons from autumn to winter are beautifully shown in the pastel watercolors. The animals are cute and furry, with strong anthropomorphic qualities. Although several pages deal with Ginger learning to hunt in the snow, the reader never sees any actual carnivorous activity and their winter feast appears to be an all-vegetarian meal. The parents radiate gentle concern and affection for their children and the cubs’ enthusiasm for new experiences is adorable. These books are picture book sized and the panels are very clearly organized, with strips of white space between each section.
My one reservation on this series is the difficulty in telling the various cubs, and their dialogue, apart. The target audience is given as kindergarten through third grade and there will certainly be children in that group who enjoy the peaceful, comforting stories and pretty art. The text is big enough for emerging readers to read comfortably, but it’s often difficult to tell which animal belongs to which speech balloon. Again, the only thing that really differentiates the badger cubs is their size and in many of the close-up panels, those differences aren’t shown.
I’ve been shelving these titles in the easy reader section at our library and have been disappointed by their low circulation, which I think is mostly due to their awkward size. With this latest addition to the series, I plan to move it to the graphic novel section where it can take its place alongside Andy Runton’s Owly and Colleen AF Venable’s Guinea Pig, Pet Shop Private Eye as choices for parents and kids who like the comic format but want something appropriate for younger children and a little less adventurous.
Mr. Badger and Mrs. Fox, vol. 4: Peace and Quiet by Brigitte Luciani Art by Eve Tharlet ISBN: 9780761385202 Lerner Graphic Universe, 2012
Staci always seems to get on the wrong side of a problem and ends up ticking off everyone around her. This time is definitely the worst – her best friend Faith has fallen in with a group of wanna-be witches and is mad because Staci won’t come to their spell casting sessions. But after the first time, when they almost got caught in the museum casting a spell in the Incan history exhibit, Staci’s had enough of weirdness. Now if only she could figure out how to help “Chuck,” the hunky but odd guy who coincidentally (or not?) showed up immediately after the disappearance of an Incan mummy from the museum.
Jolley’s second story for Lerner’s middle-school paranormal romance series lacks much of the humor and swoony quality that made My Boyfriend is a Monster, vol. 3: My Boyfriend Bites a terrific edition to the series. The story seems rushed and readers never get the chance to get to know the characters well enough to care about their issues. The side characters remain almost faceless; readers are introduced to them and then they fade away quickly, making it hard to care when they reappear briefly later in the story. As the witches and Faith begin to turn away from Staci, the tension and the stakes are raised, adding much needed drama to the tale. Unfortunately that drama doesn’t spill over to the romance. Chuck is cute, but his and Staci’s love pops up awkwardly and without any reason. In a tale such as this, it is not surprising for characters to rush into romance, but the love affair here is more akin to falling abruptly off a cliff with all of the surprise and none of the affection.
Nourigat’s art is a nice addition to the series, however. All of the characters look believably like teens and the settings are strong without overpowering the story. Nourigat has a good grasp of perspective and knows how to place characters and events within a panel in such a way as to play with readers’ emotions, evoking sympathy or surprise or fear. Chuck is, as I mentioned previously, blandly handsome enough to appeal to young teen readers and that’s fairly typical for the series. Though this is not the strongest of the books by far, readers who have enjoyed the previous books will at least identify with Staci’s sense of alienation from her friends and classmates. Recommended for libraries that already have devoted readers of the series.
My Boyfriend is a Monster #6: Wrapped Up in You by Dan Jolley Art by Natalie Nourigat ISBN: 9780761368564 Lerner, 2012
William’s sister, Helise, has run away. William feels responsible; he knew she was distressed over their mother’s remarriage, didn’t believe their father was dead, and had some frightening ideas about their mother, but he didn’t listen. He sets off in search of Helise and finds a wandering knight, Sir Brabant. A good thing, since he has plunged into the dangerous medieval fantasy world they live in, where villagers can be murdered by vagabonds and every stranger could be a dangerous enemy.
Mortensen continues his exciting but confusing adventures in time in The Red Ruby and The Secret Mummy. I had hoped that the confusion in the first two volumes — especially in Santa Fe Jail — would be cleared up (I am a very hopeful person) but no such luck.
I enjoyed the first Mortensen story, The Mysterious Manuscript, but had hoped there would be more information about, well, everything in this sequel. Unfortunately, when I finished reading this story I found myself even more confused.
I had high hopes of this series when I first read the descriptions. Lerner’s Graphic Universe does some really good graphic novels for kids and this sounded like something not only my kids at the library but I myself would enjoy; a great Tintin read-alike with time travel and historical facts.
In the first two volumes, Lou and her mom dealt with first love, growing relationships, a dismal summer with the grumpy Memaw, and acquired a kitten. Now Lou’s mom has finally sold her book and has a steady relationship with Richard, while Lou is ready to tackle being a teenager, she hopes.
Staci always seems to get on the wrong side of a problem and ends up ticking off everyone around her. This time is definitely the worst – her best friend Faith has fallen in with a group of wanna-be witches and is mad because Staci won’t come to their spell casting sessions. But after the first time, when they almost got caught in the museum casting a spell in the Incan history exhibit, Staci’s had enough of weirdness. Now if only she could figure out how to help “Chuck,” the hunky but odd guy who coincidentally (or not?) showed up immediately after the disappearance of an Incan mummy from the museum.
