Category graphic novels

Refuge: The Graphic Novel

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Refuge: The Graphic Novel
Alan Gratz and Sid Fini
Scholastic

This graphic novel version of the excellent Refuge book that was published in 2017 will bring the stories to a whole new audience particularly those who prefer to read predominantly visual tellings.

Set in 1938, 1994 and 2015 respectively, we follow three characters, Josef, a Jewish boy who is escaping Nazi Germany aboard a passenger ship full of German Jews in 1938-9, Isabel, a Cuban girl who in 1994 is fleeing from Havana together with a group of other Cubans on a leaky boat and Mahmoud, a Syrian boy escaping from Aleppo in 2015 hoping to reach the EU.

Although my reading preference is for textual stories, I can see how Syd Fini’s illustrations showing the expressions and body language of the characters really help bring the stories to life and the sounds such as the ‘SCREECH! RUSTLE RUSTLE of the forest trees and a boat signalling ‘BWEEP-BWEEP! add additional atmosphere to the settings of various parts of the stories.

The author cleverly weaves together the three story endings and then goes on to talk about and ponder upon their themes, inviting readers to do the same, for the themes are equally or even more pertinent today.

No Refuge

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No Refuge
Patrice Aggs and Joe Brady
David Fickling Books

Following straight on from No Country, the situation for the escaping children of the family is dire and having put their trust in the rogues with illegal boats, they huddle together in a very flimsy powered dinghy.

We’re shown in flashback their terrible, scary journey across open country with Hannah in charge, dragging her siblings Bea and little Dom for days. They’re unaware that both Free Kingdom and New Army are searching for them, Bea insists on leaving dangerous, revealing pictorial messages for their Dad, whom she’s certain is following them. She also pushes Hannah to allow a large dog to join them; wise yes but also devastating.

Starving, freezing cold, constantly anxious and hunted, they suffer horrendously, eventually being forced, when Dom is overcome by exhaustion and fever, to give themselves up and find medical help.
Their initial relief and gratefulness then turn to fury and panic as little Dom ‘disappears’ and they have to escape from the harsh girls’ boarding establishment to search for him.

Their quest leads them to the capital, a place where the privileged have created a calm oasis away from the rest of the country and its troubles. Undaunted, the girls are ready to face any risk; they make some unlikely allies including a people trafficker and never give up until something seemingly miraculous takes place.

An absolutely compelling, moving graphic novel wherein Patrice Aggs and Joe Brady explore the on-going real-world refugee crisis using the UK as its setting rather than numerous other countries such as Ukraine, Afghanistan and south Sudan. Highly recommended for upper KS2/KS3 readers.

The Floofs Brave the Wild / The Terrible Trio: The (Not-So) Superheroes

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The Floofs Brave the Wild
Penelope O’Neill
Frances Lincoln Children’s Books

The Floofs return in three new stories wherein they venture into the wild. Challenges await.

In the first, Floof and the Avalanche, Dill persuades Teazle to step out of his comfort zone by leaving his volcano abode for a skiing holiday in the mountains. En route they meet Bean and Wizard who join them. and then on arrival at the cabin where they’ll be staying, they see a light on. Inside is Clementine sitting on a sofa drinking hot chocolate. (There’s a lot of hot chocolate in this story.) Some of the friends do go skiing, even having a race, when they encounter a monster and an avalanche starts. All ends happily though.

It’s ice-skates rather than skis that the Floofs try out in A Different Kind of Floof. Almost inevitably though, one of their number, Leaf, bumps down hard on the ice, falling through

and becoming frozen solid. Fortunately, Dill has something useful with her that she uses to melt the ice and release her friend. Leaf then spends some of the day in the Giant Forest comparing himself with the other Floofs and again all ends happily.

Floof and the Giant begins with Dill longing for a new adventure somewhere she’s never been before. Maybe a wave of Wizard’s wand will help them find a secret location. Secret it might be, but then a duck warns them of a giant … a hungry giant it turns out …

Just right for readers gaining confidence, especially those who like their stories presented comic style and sprinkled with humour and magic.

The Terrible Trio: The (Not-So) Superheroes
Swapna Haddow and Minky Stapleton
Scholastic

The terrible trio comprises Margarine the Penguin, Zeb the Zebra and Barry the Lemur. We meet them as they stand in line eagerly waiting to reach the front as it’s the day when a superpower will be bestowed on each and every animal. The line is a very, very long one and is moving very slowly so there’s plenty of time for them to ponder upon the power they’ll be given. Zeb wonders about speed, strength or the ability to see the future. When the buffalo bum in front of them eventually moves off, he’s let’s say, disappointed to hear from the Ministry Superpower Manager that he’s “all out of powers”. However they manage to persuade the power giver-outer squirrel that they must take priority over his favourite tv show and finally Penguin receives ‘the power to make mac, n’cheese’, Barry receives the power of nice handwriting, but what about Zeb. To him, his superpower feels pointless.

Barry and Marge soon come up with a plan – gain employment at the new cafe in town with the former writing menus and the latter making the mac’n’cheese meals.

Having thrown a tantrum, Zeb goes along too and all three start that very day; Zeb though is still determined to prove he’s a superhero. Will he have to go it alone or will his best mates help?

The laugh-out-loud silliness from Swapna Haddow combined with Minky Stapleton’s wacky portrayal of the cast of characters is great fun and has at its heart a vital message about being there for friends when things go wrong.

Jack the Fairy: The Week the Bad Fairies Escaped / Toby and the Pixies: Pixie Pandemonium

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Jack the Fairy: The Week the Bad Fairies Escaped
Tom McLaughlin
Oxford Children’s Books

As a member of the magical world, ten year old Jack is not a role model. Indeed he’s broken a couple of rules – taking his wand to school and even worse, letting Charlie, his best friend, know that he’s a fairy. However, when he accidentally magics Charlie through an inter dimensional portal to a sinister place – Lonely Island – home to creatures who hate humans, he has to inform his Mum and Uncle Dave what has happened. His Mum is furious: Uncle Dave says an emergency plan must be put into action. Off they go on operation rescue but they’ll have to contend with snot-firing Bonzo the Bogeyman and the evil Twinkle and her gang who want to take over control of the world.

Can they possibly rescue Charlie? Maybe, with assistance from Father Christmas, the Easter Bunny, the monstrous Nessy and an elf who insists that Charlie’s memory must be wiped.

Liberally scattered with Tom’s black and white illustrations, the whole thing is utterly crazy but huge fun. Ideally you should have read Jack’s previous two adventures before this one, so if you haven’t and you enjoy magical shenanigans, with occasional flatulence, then get hold of all three books and start with The Day the Unicorns Stopped Farting.

There are also plenty of crazy happenings in:

Toby and the Pixies: Pixie Pandemonium
James Turner and Andreas Schuster
David Fickling Books

If you don’t know Toby, he is just a normal boy except that he’s accidentally become King of a magical pixie realm hidden at the bottom of his garden. Events herein include a visit to the dentist accompanied by his father, a cooking lesson catastrophe and a dose of a brain power-increasing potion – or is it?
This is chaotic madcap magic and some: you’ll likely end up with aching ribs from laughing as you follow the events herein.

Max & Chaffy: What A Delicious Discovery!

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Max & Chaffy: What A Delicious Discovery!
Jamie Smart
David Fickling Books

As this story begins Max and Chaffy are sound asleep in the lighthouse but then a massive explosion wakes them from their slumbers: their help is needed urgently. The sound emanated from the bakery where Crumble lives and she’s having a crisis of confidence. Her new recipe has gone completely wrong and apparently so have her other recent recipes. The last time one went according to plan was when she was at baking school with her best friend and baking partner, Sprinkles.

Sprinkles now lives far away on Food Island and Max resolves to see the two reunited. Captain Foghorn refuses to take them in his boat but fortunately along comes Orlando Pig in a new hot air balloon. With thoughts of some possible new chaffies for Max’s book off they fly and after a somewhat hazardous landing at their destination, the friends are greeted by Mayor Chomp Chomp. He informs them that the Grand Food Festival is taking place but every recipe the chefs prepare ends up tasting disgusting.

Unsurprisingly Max offers to help find out why, the first stop being Pasta Hills. The pasta looks good but as Pasta Pete explains everything is going wrong.

Chaffy disappears and reappears to report a displaced Burger Chaffy. And so begins a concatenation of brand new chaffy findings in different locations on the island. There’s one in Veggie Park, another in Sushi Land and one more in Bakersville – brand new flavoursome combinations galore. But in Bakersville Crumble’s old pal Sprinkles just isn’t coming up with the goodies any more: time for them to start inspiring one another all over again. As for the Grand Food Festival – who will collect the winners’ cup?

A tasty treat that includes a ‘Help Max find Chaffy’ spread at the end of each part and a help Sprinkles locate his lost ingredients. With its brightly hued panels, established fans of Max and Chaffy will gobble up this fifth book and the two will likely win lots of new followers too

Froggy: A Pond Full of Pals!

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Froggy: A Pond Full of Pals!
Paige Walshe
Flying Eye Books

Froggy lives with his parents and lots of other frogs in a village until one day he decides it’s the right day for him to set off on an adventure. He collects his belongings together and sets off to the stream where, having promised his parents that he’ll write home, he’s seen off by all the frogs of the village, Froggy’s adventuring has begun.

Almost immediately though, a hungry bird seizes him in its beak, lily pad boat and all. But Froggy has no intention of being another creature’s next meal and he manages to escape, plunges downwards landing on the earth with a thump and enters an ancient pond. There he meets and is befriended by a fish that introduces itself as Fishtopher. However the next thing Froggy knows – he has a big heart after all – is that he’s coming to the aid of a love struck bee. When hunger strikes Froggy finds himself sharing delicious treats with all manner of other creatures in the wondrous forested place he’s adventuring in.

Further encounters see him engaging with humans – not a happy experience, a nine hundred year old fluffy being, a wizard and in between finding time to send his parents occasional letters by snail mail.
You’ll find Froggy experiencing wonder, frustration, loneliness, and delight especially at a joyful reunion, during the course of his adventuring.

Divided into ten chapters and illustrated in vibrant shades, this is just the book to tuck into your own backpack, find a shady spot to sit down by the waterside and enjoy adventuring along with the endearing protagonist.

Blue, Barry & Pancakes: Mount Choco Meltdown / Supersize Squirrel and the Attack of the Zombears

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Blue, Barry & Pancakes: Mount Choco Meltdown
Dan Abdo and Jason Patterson
Rock The Boat

In this third instalment featuring three best friends, worm, Blue, is excited to show Barry (frog) and Pancake (rabbit) a poster about an ice-cream sundae contest. They take some persuading but eventually agree to participate but they have just one hour to create the sundae and win the much coveted trophy – something to put in Barry’s empty trophy room. He decides that the way to win is to get a tub of chocolate ice-cream from Mount Choco. The trouble is its location is closely guarded by a giant, razor-toothed yeti.

There are obstacles in their way – the Sea of Sea Sickness to cross, sunglasses to extricate from a very tricky place, not to mention performing some funky dance moves to impress the yeti and each of the three friends is key in overcoming an obstacle. But will they make it back in time to present their creation to be judged and if so what will the outcome be?

Absolutely absurd but young fans of graphic novels will gobble it up and enjoy the ingredients that comprise the back matter.

Supersize Squirrel and the Attack of the Zombears
Luke Séguinn-Magee
Oxford Children’s Books

Despite being billed as a supersized hero of the forest and starring in two previous books, this is my first literary encounter with Sonny aka Supersized Squirrel and his sidekick Blaze Bunny.

Their third mission is full of action and we see the two facing a very spooky zombear mystery in the middle of a storm in the dark dark woods: surely their most chilling challenge ever. Squirrel calls it the Zombi-pocalypse. Scary as it is after an unexpected encounter, he insists they plus their old enemies the F.A.R.T. ‘march into this challenge with our weird superpowers and our heads held high.’

Can they together get rid of the poisonous pollution unthinkingly dumped into Bear Pond that’s at the heart of the trouble, restore the zombears to ordinary bears and put everything back to normal? And what of that movie in the Warren: can they catch the ending?

Silly, satisfying and fast moving with friendship and super-heroic feats at its core..

UNICO Hunted

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UNICO Hunted
Osamu Tezuka, Samuel Sattin and Gurihiru
Scholastic

In the second episode based on the work of Japanese cartoonist and animator Tezuka, the little unicorn finds himself in a grim abandoned city with no memory of how he got there. He’s rescued by a kindly mouse, Garapachi that takes him home to meet his wife and family. There he learns of Chiko, a blue-eyed little girl living in the house who is desperately ill; she and her grandfather, Yoji, are the last two remaining humans in the city and Garapachi takes the unicorn to see them. He also shows him the massive factory that is dominating and polluting the entire town while armed drones patrol the streets. In the factory lives Mother, a controlling robot and when Unico is summoned to meet her, he learns of her origins and real albeit, now warped, purpose: what a sad story it is.

Underground, where Unico finds himself after a tumble. he finds Garapachi again and they discover the beautiful home of the fey and soon after, the prince of the underground fey. He with the other fey have been driven underground by Mother but can Unico persuade Prince Halian to help them despite his misgivings?

In the meantime, Venus, the evil goddess, coveter of Unico’s horn summons from the ‘deathly garden’ Iver, an interstellar hunter of the reptilian kind, with instructions to find Unicorn and cause suffering to him and those around him.

Ending once again on a cliff-hanger, this exciting story, with lots of weird settings is another winner that will delight fans.

Stitch Head: The Pirate’s Eye / Donut Squad Take Over the World! / Toby and the Pixies: Best Frenemies!

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Stitch Head: The Pirate’s Eye
Guy Bass and Pete Williamson
Little Tiger

For those not yet acquainted with Stitch Head, he’s the first creation of the mad Professor Erasmus and resides in Castle Grotteskew along with various other weird creatures.
Then there’s a recent one of the Prof’s creations, an Octopus, and as ever Stitch Head has to use one of his potions to turn the creature into a kindly one. We also meet Arabella Guff from the village, she who fears nothing. Arabella tells Stitch Head as they read a diary together that he’s part pirate because he has a blue eye that once belonged to its writer, Captain Dash Flashpowder. Could that really be so?
Stitch Head recruits a crew and as he prepares for a life of derring-do on the high seas, some decidedly suspicious business closer to home threatens to put a stop to his harum-scarum swashbuckling plans…
Fans of Stitch Head, as well as others who love gothic tales, wacky adventures, mystery with the occasional scary character will love this graphic novel presentation of the original book.

The next two are both David Fickling Books graphic novels:

Donut Squad Take Over the World!
Neill Cameron

Herein you’ll find a lot of daft doings by the Donut Squad who have decided to take over the entire world. The squad comprises Sprinkles (their leader) Jammyboi, Chalky (tho ghost one), Justice Donut, Anxiety Donut, Caramel Jack (a tad salty) Daunt and Li’l Timmy, and Spronky.
The trouble is though they have some serious opposition in the form of the Bagels – arch nemeses of the Donuts that abready have plans of their own including a (w)hole lot of new merchandise.
Uh-oh1 Seems that those Donuts are also launching a lot of new merchandise – they’re definitely endeavouring to out-MERCH the Bagels..
Now I have to say that both sides are wasting their time as this reviewer strongly dislikes both Donuts and Bagels – I wouldn’t eat either of these foods. Nevertheless I found myself having a really good giggle at the utterly daft shenanigans of both torus teams in their fight for world domination.

More giggles assured when you read:


Toby and the Pixies: Best Frenemies!
James Turner and Andreas Schuster

With Toby having accidentally become king of the Pixies that reside at the bottom of his garden he discovers that misunderstandings are all too common with those little folk. Now though Steph, Toby’s nemesis at school has learned of his regal status and contrary to Toby’s expectations, rather than teasing and insulting him about it, she thinks it’s cool. She even becomes, along with his best pal Mo, a part of Toby’s adventures. Rather we should say misadventures, for whenever those Pixies get involved something is absolutely certain to go wrong. There’s the school disco for instance and much, much more.
At the end Steph makes a surprise revelation and it’s one that lets Toby know how she really feels. Zany chaos abounds but importantly there’s a heartwarming message about acceptance and friendship. (If you’ve now taken to Toby’s erstwhile enemy, there are a couple of ‘How to draw Steph spreads at the end of the book).

Higher Ground

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Higher Ground
Tull Suwannakit
New Frontier Publishing

In this highly visual story we follow the lives of a grandmother, a brother (the narrator) and sister and their pet rabbit who are stranded in their city apartment as a result of what Grandma calls The Great Flood. Everybody else left before the water came and so there was nobody to see their rooftop message pleading for help. Thus this space becomes their entire world but Grandma tells the children they must never lose hope.

Day by day she teaches them everything she knows: things about sowing and planting, making repairs, fishing, reusing and recycling, observing their changing surroundings and more. The children seize upon her teachings with enthusiasm, optimism and creativity. The seasons change but so too does Grandma: little by little her strength diminishes. With the waters continuing to rise, the children start building a raft and loading it with produce.

Grandma knows she has little time left so she encourages the children to sail away leaving her to protect their garden: ‘with each ending a new beginning unfolds’, she tells them giving her necklace to her granddaughter and saying that she’ll always be with them.

Weeks later, having been completely lost, battered by fierce stormy waters and on the point of despair, a seabird flying overhead reminds the siblings of Grandma and with lifted spirits they struggle on, eventually finding dry land and a new home among other people. Using their experiences they then show compassion towards other people who also find themselves lost, stranded.

Tull Suwannakit uses predominantly mixed media visual imagery to convey the story, skilfully blending wordless graphic novel sequences, some in black and white, beautiful softly hued landscapes

and double spread diagrams of instructions for such things as catching a fish. The result is a hugely moving account of how even under the very worst of circumstances, like those two protagonists, we should never give up on life.

Embracing such themes as home, belonging, loss, grief, refugees, self-sufficiency and the consequences of climate change, this is a book that deserves to be widely read at home and in classrooms.

Betty and the Yeti: Friends at First Fart / Blue, Barry & Pancakes: Escape from Balloonia

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Betty and the Yeti: Friends at First Fart
Hugh Raine
Farshore

This book features Beano characters Betty and Yeti; there are four parts, one for each season of the year., all of which contain appropriate seasonal happenings. Betty is a quick thinker which is just as well; how else would she be able to keep a stray yeti in her suburban home, despite having parents who grew up in Nepal. And how on earth will she keep the presence of this Yeti (discovered by Dennis the Menace eating slops from the school bins) a secret from them? She’s also a smart talker which proves a great asset both for readers and the story characters.
It’s no surprise that it’s an exceedingly challenging task what with Yeti’s massive build and its exceedingly whiffy emanations.

Children will delight in the escapades herein and have fun trying the games and puzzles at the end of each section.

Blue, Barry & Pancakes: Escape from Balloonia
Daniel Rajai Abdo and Jason Linwood Patterson]
One World Publications

If you’ve not met them before Blue, Barry and Pancakes are a trio of tree-dwelling, fun-loving friends but their idea of fun isn’t the same. Bookworm Blue’s favourite activity is reading, frog Barry especially enjoys building models and then there’s adventurous Pancakes. Just as Blue and Barry have settled down to their peaceful pastimes in bursts Pancakes. She’s just made a balloon rocket and wants her pals to join her on a trip to Balloonia (a balloon planet). After some hair-raising situations, they find themselves in the stomach of Balloon Kong, the biggest, meanest Balloonian of all. How can they get themselves out of that?

A zany tale that explores themes of friendship and individuality; with much of the story told through the wacky artwork, it’s especially suitable for readers whose preference is for highly visual storytelling.

The Floofs Reach For The Stars

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The Floofs Reach For The Stars
Penelope O’Neill
Frances Lincoln Children’s Books

Meet the Floofs: there’s Wizard, who has magical powers) Bean (an avid reader), treasure hunter Dill, Anise – the wise one that loves baking, Leaf, mushroom enthusiast, fashionista Clementine and laid back Teasel; each introduces him or herself on the second spread, as does not-Floof, Mica, There’s a map of their homeland on the first.
Having set the scene, there follow three short tales: in the first the friends endeavour to find out why the stars are missing from the sky when Wizard endeavours to cast a midnight spell.

The second story sees Leaf arriving at Dill’s door accompanied by a creature that introduces itself as Comet. Comet tells them that its spaceship crashed near a lake and the glowing orb vital to get back home is missing. The friends decide this is an adventure and off they set to the Great Lake in search of the orb.

An adventure it surely is but will they succeed in their mission?

Bean has just settled down to enjoy a quiet read when in burst the other Floofs disturbing her peace and prompting her to stomp off to be alone. However the park is anything but peaceful; but what about Dill’s suggestion, the forest? There follows another amazing adventure of the Floof kind but peace? Hmm – eventually though of the kind that pleases both Bean and adventurous Dill.

With bright, quirky illustrations, unique characters, a surreal backdrop, wisdom, working together and adventures of the magical sort, this is an absolute. delight from cover to cover.

Hupo and the Wonder Thief

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Hupo and the Wonder Thief
Billy Partridge
Flying Eye Books

This is Billy Partridge’s debut graphic novel; it’s set in a mysterious land called Yip within which is a bustling town named Yorger, the noisiest place in all of Yip. Therein resides Hupo, a dog-like creature with a longing for adventure who also makes very frequent visits to the library from which he borrows the same book every time, this being his 763rd borrowing of The Adventures of the Great Humdingo. Hupo can’t resist reading it aloud to his best friend the Aletha (a cross between bird and a serpent) as they walk along the streets but no-one else has the slightest interest in Hupo or the wild exploits he talks of in the shops he visits. Suddenly, having missed the bus home, he’s surrounded by a thick fog that descends and everything becomes weird.

“The Dark One is waiting,” one of the crows remarks. Now it appears that Hupo is finally going to get that much desired big adventure as the crows surround him and the Aletha is no longer by his side.

Hupo soon realises that real life heroism is way harder than any book has led him to think, but he’ll do anything for his friend no matter the danger involved. And danger there certainly is in the massive form of the Wallower. He, so a little creature named Choomo tells Hupo, was once none other than the great Humdingo but has become the beastly Wallower, determined to remove all traces of wonder and joy.
Use of scale makes Hupo’s encounter with the Wallower even more alarmingly dramatic,

but can his unwavering determination save the day and the town of Yorger?

A pacy tale with a vital message – ‘never be anything but yourself’ that will have young fans of graphic novels rooting for Hupo from the start.

Agent Harrier Mission Impossib-Hole/ Adventuremice: Mice, Camera, Action!

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These are both additions to popular series: thanks to Little Tiger and David Fickling Books for sending them for review.

Agent Harrier Mission Impossib-Hole
Ben Sanders
Little Tiger

Agent Harrier is back for his third mission of the secret spy kind. However before he can even get going, the bottom falls out of his world – literally – and having plunged downwards, he finds himself face to face with his trusty friend, Mr Mole. Mole informs him of a new case : the case of the Mysterious Holes and our agent is not happy. Holes in his precious book, holes that transport him to different dimensions starting with a strange fairy tale where a princess dances till the clock strikes twelve. Then comes a kind of detective story where he meets a dragon and lastly, a scary sc-fi adventure in outer space.

Time is running out for Agent Harrier: if he can’t uncover the offending hole-maker very soon, not a single one of his books will make any sense and it’s curtains for the entire series. With Mole looking decidedly untrustworthy, – the villain maybe – to whom can Harri look for assistance?
With punny daftness and word play in abundance, this is a hilarious dose of meta-fictive madness that Agent Harrier’s fans will love. If you’ve not met this particular detective before, I suggest starting with This Book Will Self Destruct.

Adventuremice: Mice, Camera, Action!
Philip Reeve and Sarah McIntyre
David Fickling Books

The Adventuremice series gets progressively crazier and this one definitely takes the biscuit – enough said about biscuits.

The Adventuremice are super excited to receive an invitation to Hollybush, reputed to be the most glamorous place in all of the Mice Islands, the place where all the big mouse movies are made. Needless to say, Pedro isn’t too thrilled about this but that’s Pedro for you. Skipper too is unenthusiastic about going, but in the end they all board the Daring Dormouse, Hollybush bound. Apparently however, despite it being called the Adventuremice movie, the team won’t actually be acting; rather they’ve been invited to visit the studio and watch the making of the movie .

On arrival they’re greeted by Scoot McHairy, Mr Cheezeburger’s assistant. The film set is certainly a glitzy place but Pedro is confused by all the fakery including an exceedingly large mechanical otter

and it’s not long before he ruins a scene making Mr Cheezeburger furious that his precious film will never be finished in time to be shown at the film festival. Can the Adventuremice team come to the rescue and save not only the movie but a real live baby creature too?

Established Adventuremice fans will certainly be cheering them on and the team will likely gain lots more followers too.

My Big Fat Smelly Poo Diary: Tight Squeeze

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My Big Fat Smelly Poo Diary : Tight Squeeze
Jim Smith
Scholastic

Writer of the titular diary is Pedro. He has two friends named Olga and Ozzy: arranged as a acrostic, this spells – well you work it out. They’re actually known as the Poopies.

Pedro’s first ‘story’ is entitled My Invention and was prompted by a total absence of toilet rolls in the supermarket due to stockpiling. The tale begins on a Monday morning with their teacher announcing that the local supermarket is running a poster competition showing a product invented by the poster’s creator. Said product will then be manufactured and sold at the supermarket. Some interesting things become the subject of posters including Pedro’s pooh shooz. Pedro is convinced he will be announced as the winner. Not so!

As they walk home together after school the friends see a huge billboard advertising the winning invention which sparks an idea; – a LOO roll business venture. There follows a family supermarket visit that includes Granny, which doesn’t quite go to plan as she gets herself involved in a showdown: who’d have thought she had it in her.

Then there’s toilet roll monster trouble (to keep or not to keep), the coming of Storm Pedro when home-made fart masks come in very useful despite being a tad on the tight side, a sleepover of the pals, a final resolution of the toilet roll monster disagreement, and more.

Overflowing with feelings of friendship, aromas of the whiffy kind, and toilet humour, these crazy wipe-size stories are certain to go down well with Pedro’s human followers and other fans of stinkingly funny
graphic style dramas.

UNICO: Awakening

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UNICO: Awakening
Osamu Tezuka, Samuel Sattin, illustrated by Gurihiru
Scholastic

Created in Osamu Tezuka’s Japanese manga style, this is in part an exploration of good vs evil. Herein a little unicorn, Unico has been banished by the evil goddess Venus whom he has angered. (The prologue tells how Venus, threatened by Unico’s power, which was born of his friendship with the goddess Psyche, dispatches the Zephyrus, the West Wind, to get rid of him. Instead Zephryus decides to save the little unicorn, repeatedly transporting him through space and time.) The disorientated Unico is befriended by a watch-cat, Chloe. Unico cannot recall events from his past or what his real purpose was. Chloe pleads with the little unicorn to enable her to become human and he agrees to turn her into a girl once a day provided she helps their witchy Granny friend.


It’s not long before Byron, an affluent, very sinister trophy hunter has eyes on Chloe in her human form and Venus, sensing that Unico has reappeared on Earth, decides to use Byron to destroy him. When Chloe accepts Byron’s invitation to visit his abode, she soon feels uncomfortable especially with his talk of predator and prey.


The action and excitement ramp up with the book ending on a cliff-hanger as this book is to be followed by a second volume, UNICO Hunted.

Sattin was clearly inspired by Tezuka’s original manga from some fifty years ago and with Gurihiru’s jewel-coloured art, this book will appeal most strongly to those readers who prefer their stories presented mainly through high quality visuals. Backmatter includes information about Tezuka, Sattin and Gurihuri as well as some history of the Unico story.

Hilda and Twig Hide From The Rain / Sidekicks

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Hilda and Twig Hide From The Rain
Luke Pearson
Flying Eye Books

This is in essence a prequel to previously published books starring Hilda.
‘Be back in time for dinner’ comes the call from mum as Hilda and Twig, a deer fox, set out for a walk, destination to be decided until, down comes the rain and they make a dash for the woods. Therein they come upon a cave offering shelter. Also sheltering there are a host of other creatures that are puzzled by Twig. They go on to discuss what the place actually is and buried treasure, and a giant snake are mentioned; the latter surely isn’t real decides Twig.

Nonetheless he pops back outside to check and as a result of what he sees, Twig and Hilda become separated. Now it’s up to Twig to find his brave side and protect his friend from becoming a creature’s dish of the day. Can he do so and what of the treasure that was spoken of?

It matters not whether readers have already met the main characters before as this adventure can stand alone. It’s smashing fun and definitely one to offer reluctant older readers as well as younger primary children.

Sidekicks
Dan Santat
Scholastic

Captain Amazing, defender of Metro City is feeling old and has decided that he needs a trusty sidekick. When his moggy, Manny, ran away, he was left with Roscoe the dog, Fluffy the hamster and Shifty the Chameleon as pets. Unknown to the Captain, each one is eager for the sidekick role; he’s also unaware that his pets have already begun to develop superpowers, all bar Fluffy as yet. Then back on the scene comes Manny offering to assist Fluffy with some superpower training (and at one point, a peanut as a reminder of something lesson learned).

Meanwhile the Captain’s arch nemesis Dr Havoc is planning something sinister for him. It’s time for serious teamwork from the would-be sidekicks and quickly too, for Captain Amazing’s life could be at stake. Metro City cannot be allowed to fall. Can the pets be the victors?

So cleverly constructed, hugely engaging, well paced with plenty of action and crazy capers, this book will certainly win a large number of fans.

You Only Spy Twice

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You Only Spy Twice
Ben Sanders
Little Tiger

Agent Harrier is back with another mission. First off he goes to collect his eagerly awaited spy car from Doctor Doppler at BARK’s gadget lab. What he’s given though is let’s say disappointing, though there are supposedly some useful gadgets that need slight adjustment before it’s ready. Off goes Harrier to see Patsy. Her reaction to his obvious feelings about the vehicle is to tell him, “The spy car does not make the spy”.

Time for the mission: apparently somebody from inside BARK has stolen Top Secret files, leaving behind a car with a symbol and Harrier is tasked with uncovering the double agent. The next thing Harrier knows is that his car has disappeared – stolen. The traitor perhaps? A chase is on with Patsy at the wheel and hair-raising, not to mention car raising it definitely is.

Following a near disastrous landing Harrier finds himself facing a carbon copy of himself – a doppelgänger no less. A weird conversation between the two Agent Harriers ensues but how will the whole mission end?

That would be telling; but I will let you know that the DIY reference made this reviewer both groan and splutter with laughter.

A second zany, punny graphic novel ideal for new solo readers.

Tosh’s Island

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Tosh’s Island
Linda Sargent, Joe Brady and Leo Marcell
David Fickling Books

This story told in graphic novel form was inspired by co-creator Linda Sargent’s real-life childhood beset by aches and pains which are eventually diagnosed as Still’s disease (an early on-set form of arthritis).

Like Linda did, Tosh is growing up in the countryside of Kent and often visits the county’s northern coast with her adoptive parents who farm hops. Tosh’s best friend is Millie, daughter of the postman and just before starting secondary school, Tosh is beset by pain. Pain that causes her to fall and be unable to grip properly, but which the doctor calls attention seeking and the result of an over-active imagination. Millie is supportive as are Tosh’s parents who agree to Tosh’s request for a day at Oyster Flats. It’s there as she sits gazing out to what she calls, “my island” that she notices close to the breakwater a boy drawing. He introduces himself as Louis and as it turns out, both of them consider the island is a magical place.

Then by means of Tosh’s stories and Louis’ drawing the friends share magical trips to the island: this enables Tosh to exchange her hurting legs for a mermaid’s tail. Before leaving, the two agree to write to one another and this gives Tosh something to feel hopeful about.

Back at school though, it feels as though Millie is leaving her best friend behind as she becomes involved with a group of girls some of whom are unkind to and about Tosh. Her illness develops further and following a reckless action, her father decides that something urgently needs to be done. Tosh is hospitalised and meets a very kind, supportive nurse and a doctor who gives her a diagnosis of juvenile arthritis, explaining that she’ll never get better as she’s been hoping, but will receive help to manage her pain.

The diagnosis brings about changes for the entire family, Tosh continues to write to Louis and eventually the two meet again on their special beach. There Louis reveals something sad he’s never before told Tosh and the friends agree to share everything as they prepare to face new adventures, real and imagined. One is left hoping that neither of them will ever feel isolated by pain – physical or mental – henceforward.

Hugely moving, this book with its powerful art is one that will linger long in the minds of those who read it. It’s an inspiring demonstration of the power of the imagination to heal and to offer hope in times of adversity.

Cactus Kid : Rumble At The Rodeo

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Cactus Kid : Rumble At The Rodeo
Emmanuel Guerrero
Flying Eye Books

Cactus Kid continues his search for someone to teach him the real wizarding skills he requires to be a proper wizard and as the story opens he’s heading off in search of Big Boulder, a mysterious dirt magic master he wants as his teacher. Having learned what he needs, the Kid hopes he can finally make his dad proud. He makes the mistake of stopping for snacks on the way and while so doing his trusty bike is damaged by what appears to be an earthquake but is actually a very large rock monster. He now requires a mechanic to fix it urgently, but there’s a problem. Rhyan the mechanic is participating in the three day New Moon rodeo event. While speaking to Rhyan, Cactus Kid sees a wanted poster for Big Boulder and is convinced that the wizard he needs is the one that beat him up. Is he right though?

Without waiting for his bike to be mended Cactus Kid sets out on foot but then discovers his compass is missing. Before long things have gone completely out of control. He’s in the muck mines with Ryan.

Not only is an army of wicked little baby spiders after the Kid but the very existence of the wizard Big Boulder that he’s searching for is called into question. Moreover the Spidermama is intent on destroying not just the mines but the whole town. Is there even a tiny chance that Cactus Kid can prove his father wrong, and save the day and the town?

A second madcap adventure: its ’to be continued’ ending means that Cactus Kid’s adventures are far from finished. Followers of the protagonist will zoom through this one and look forward to the next wacky tale.

Hilo: The Boy Who Crashed To Earth / Max Meow: Donuts and Danger / Blood City Rollers

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These are three Puffin Books graphic novels – thanks to the publisher for sending them for review.

Hilo: The Boy Who Crashed To Earth
Judd Winick

Meet Daniel Jackson Lim, known as D.J. His siblings are all high achievers but D.J. thinks he’s no good at anything other than being friends with Gina; but then Gina moved away. So he’s left without anything that makes him special until suddenly one day Hilo crash lands near to where he lives almost destroying his clubhouse. Hilo is clad only in silver underpants of the outstanding kind and has no idea from whence he came or why. He has a tendency to eat anything and everything and somehow manages to get himself enrolled at D.J.’s school. As they’re going into class, who should be there but Gina, Daniel’s best friend, recently returned from New York City; so now the two become a threesome.

It quickly transpires that Hilo isn’t the only unexpected arrival from out of the sky though: there’s the monstrous Rant – a robotic ant that Hilo attacks with his laser-shooting hands before it can consume his friends. This monstrous creature however also gives D.J. an opportunity to discover that he too has powers, powers that he can make use of to assist Hilo. Indeed this self-discovery is an important element of the action-packed drama. Who or what though is this Razorwark that haunts Hilo’s dreams and why is he intent on destruction?

With some terrific one liners from Hilo, this is a gripping visual delight that ends on a cliff hanger leaving readers all agog for the next adventure.

Max Meow: Donuts and Danger
John Gallagher

In case readers missed his first adventure, Max Meow opens this sequel with an introductory recap.
Now Max’s human friend Mindy, has gained powers and created a superhero persona of her own. The trouble is Science Kitty.is such a perfectionist, she is scared to try being a hero in public.
However, there’s explosive trouble at the firework factory, robberies start occurring that quickly become a veritable crime wave with problems really erupting at the Kittyopolis Food Fest. Furthermore it appears that an evil, bushy-tailed being aided and abetted by others, has designs on the world’s donut supply so it’s patently obvious that the entire city is in a seriously dangerous predicament. Surely now is the time for Mindy to set aside her concerns about being perfect and apply her many skills however imperfect she might consider them, to helping Cat Crusader save the day, not to mention the donuts.

My head was spinning after reading the book; there’s a possibility that the brain scrambler belonging to one of the villains has been pointed in my direction. Young fans of Max however will likely not be so affected and lap up this mix of madness, mayhem and mimicking with its themes of friendship, fear, bravery, loyalty and jealousy.

For older readers is

Blood City Rollers
V.P. Anderson and Tatiana Hill

Meet Mina Murray, a young figure skater with a pushy Mum intent on her getting a place in the Olympics. But then she takes a tumble, breaks her arm and things change dramatically. Mina is talent-spotted and kidnapped by two vampires who want to try her out as a member of their Blood City Rollers team a paranormal roller derby team. She accepts the drink they offer to heal her arm and then it’s time to put on the gear and start learning new ways of skating. The more she practises, the more Mina feels that as a team member is where she really belongs.
Ending on a cliff-hanger, this first of a series. Its mix of comedy, paranormal horror and a diverse cast of characters will appeal to readers around the age of Mina.

Max & Chaffy: Hunt for the Pirate’s Gold! / Magic Pickle and the Roots of Doom

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Max & Chaffy: Hunt for the Pirate’s Gold!
Jamie Smart
David Fickling Books

From the creator of Bunny vs Monkey and Looshkin books, the Max & Chaffy books (this is the fourth), are a less demanding read. Set on Animal Island they feature Max and her pal cum sidekick Chaffy who, having now become official members of the chaffy finding club, are very enthusiastic about sallying forth on their next chaffy hunt. (For the uninitiated Chaffies are small spherical beings with one and a half ears and like to eat lettuce, most of them anyway.)

As they’re wandering on the beach the friends come across Foghorn. He offers to take them in his boat to a secret part of the Island, reachable only by sea. Once there, the threesome rapidly becomes a foursome when Chaffy finds a bobbly creature that the rather curmudgeonly Foghorn insists is not actually a chaffy. Max suggests it’s a Puffa Chaffy and soon encased in special underwater bubbles,

Puffa Chaffy, Max and Chaffy embark on an underwater foray involving a map in a bottle, the possibility of treasure and a pirate captain related to Foghorn. It’s an adventure that Foghorn cannot resist joining once he discovers a personal connection. He even lets his kindheartedness come to the surface whenever Puffa Chaffy feels scared and all ends happily with the finding of not one but two new chaffies.

With its vibrant colour palette and a text almost exclusively in speech bubbles, this is a delight – engaging and full of charm. Included too are some puzzle extras..

Rather more complex is

Magic Pickle and the Roots of Doom
Scott Morse
Scholastic

Herein you will find the titular Magic Pickle that flies around sporting a large star on its head, and his young human sidekick, Jo Jo. She wears a purple onesie with a unicorn horn.

When Magic Pickle is approached by Herb Cloverson, a decidedly malodorous character that is far from happy with life as a garlic clove, Pickle is rather dismissive. Then the clove is itself approached by the evil tuber, Square Root, who says he’s looking for a friend. So Herb Cloverson becomes Square Root’s sidekick and the two set about removing the star from Magic Pickle and thus taking away his power. With the goal achieved and the star on Square Root’s head, he sets about amassing an underground army.

Meanwhile the powerless Pickle is thoroughly downcast and it’s left to Jo-Jo to encourage him to fight back. By now Herb Cloverson has realised that he’s being used and hence is still looking for a friend. So too is Magic Pickle, so can they put things right between them? And will justice finally prevail? Perhaps, with some input from the Information Leek who offers assistance to Jo-Jo, together with the power of teamwork

Replete with veggie-related puns, it’s funny, clever, crazily compelling and diverting in a daft way.

Max Meow: Cat Crusader / Bunny vs Monkey: The Impossible Pig!

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Max Meow: Cat Crusader
John Gallagher
Puffin Books

There’s a feline superhero on the prowl It’s Max Meow, resident of the ‘furr-ociously cool city of Kittyopolis’. Max is an aspiring vlogger and podcast host and his best friend is human scientist Mindy Microbe whom he visits in her secret lab, the intention being to make a science video. Mindy has acquired a rare space meatball, which is suddenly snatched away. by a robot. The friends give chase, seize it back and when Max takes a bite of it, he finds himself with superpowers; with the ability to fly, super strength and a fiery tail, he becomes the Cat Crusader.

It transpires that the robot Reggie was sent by the villainous Agent M, a mouse, and Big Boss who want the meatball for their own heinous purposes.

Max finds that being a super hero is hungry work and so he and Mindy head for their favourite restaurant to sate their appetites. This leads via some hot sauce, to a falling out between the two of them and they stop speaking to one another.

Both tricky and sticky situations occur with the result that Max realises that superpowers alone will not be sufficient to save the day and indeed, save Kittyopolis itself.

Action-packed, and with pawsful of wacky humour, this pacy tale cleverly sets the scene for the second book in the series. Fans of visual story-telling especially will lap it up.

Bunny vs Monkey: The Impossible Pig!
Jamie Smart
David Fickling Books

I’m sure for readers of comics and graphic novels, the name Jamie Smart and his anarchic Bunny vs Monkey series needs no introduction and this is a paperback edition of a previously published hardcover documenting the wild and wacky escapades of Bunny et al in the woods through the four seasons from spring through to winter, concluding with a gathering for Christmas lunch. With its frenetic pacing and giggle-inducing gags throughout, enthusiasts will relish the on-going daftness.

Off-the wall comedy for primary readers doesn’t get better than this.

The Memory Key

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The Memory Key
Nigel Baines
Hodder Children’s Books

Lily Slade lives with her mum, Mum’s boyfriend Matt, his son Alex and her Grandad George. Train-loving Grandad has always been her hero but recently he’s been forgetful and confused: he has Alzheimer’s. Mum has started saying that with his deteriorating condition, Grandad will soon need specialist help in a residential home.
When it’s her turn to present her family origin story to her class at school, Lily tells how Grandad originally lived in Hungary and moved to the UK as a child when the political situation in Hungary became repressive. This prompts questions from her classmates but the most important question for Lily remains that concerning the fate of her Grandad.

Mum insists they all go and visit a care home but Lily remains determined to help Grandad get better, especially when his train and railway memories start coming to life magically.

However things start to spiral out of control especially when Lily loses the key to go back home. Will there always, as Grandad says from time to time, be light at the end of the tunnel? And will Lily be able to find it even when it seems impossible?

Enormously powerful and written with such sensitivity, readers cannot fail to be swept along to the end like one of Grandad’s trains. The straightforward explanations about Alzheimer’s are spot on for the target audience who will be hugely moved by the abundance of love between Lily and Grandad. They will also likely discover something about a part of recent European history that is new to them.

Toby and the Pixies: Worst King Ever!

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Toby and the Pixies: Worst King Ever!
James Turner and Andreas Schuster
David Fickling Books

Twelve year old Toby Cauldwell is desperately trying to fit in at Suburbiton High School, not very successfully though. Then there’s Mo who is in a similar situation and despite their differences the two become buddies.

Meanwhile deep in the undergrowth of Toby’s garden is a hidden kingdom of pixies ruled over by the evil King Thornprickle. Not for much longer however for having bid farewell to Mo, Toby kicks at a plaster gnome in his garden and the next thing he knows is that he’s being hailed as the new king of the pixies. Pixie law states that the ruler can do anything they want – not a prospect Toby relishes AT ALL. But perhaps the whole pixie thing is a dream; that’s what he tells his Dad who is completely obsessed with making the perfect piece of toast.

How wrong can the lad be though for the pixies just won’t leave him be. They come into his house, pop up in school and turn his life into a nightmare. Then Toby makes the biggest mistake thus far: he grants the pesky things freedom to become autonomous. Pretty soon the classrooms are awash with green sludge and mushrooms are springing up everywhere: it’s chaos. Time for a rethink decides Toby, but again it’s a case of the best laid plans. So the boy heads home with Mo to play Camel Calamity, a video game, but there’s no stopping those pixies. More crises occur with badgers in a bathtub and Mo morphing into a bird so Toby decides to take Mo into his confidence re the pixies.

Then, shock horror: state duty calls and his majesty is told he’s the groom at a royal wedding

and marrying Princess Persephone. How will he extricate himself from this one?
Maybe there will come a time when Toby decides that perhaps being the King of the Pixies isn’t really so bad after all – stranger things have happened.

All of this certainly goes to show that life is above all a journey of possibilities and to read of Toby et al is a deliciously fun way of demonstrating this.

Mega Robot Bros: Nemesis

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Mega Robot Bros: Nemesis
Neill Cameron
David Fickling Books

High octane adventuring for robot brothers Freddy and Alex Sharma unfolds in this the seventh in a graphic novel series and the stakes seem higher than ever before.
As the story opens, the brothers are on holiday with their parents having ‘some quality family time’ together at the seaside; but then on the pier Alex encounters a huge fan, Erin and her brother, the result being a visit to the robotic Steel Circus. This leads to an accidental but disastrous encounter with old adversaries whose existence the Bros had completely forgotten about.

Things become progressively more weird with a TV appearance and a protest by Humanity First at Tilbury Port that intensifies becoming a huge riot between the robots and humans with Freddy going crazy and things descending into chaos.


Things are exceedingly dark by the end of the book with Alex realising that he’s going to have to take desperate measures to stop his brother. But can he stop Freddy… and save him from the corrupting evil power of the villainous Robot 23? The last few scenes set up the entire saga for a dazzling final instalment that fans of this magnificent Mega series with its clever mix of excitement, humour and pathos will be eagerly awaiting.

Lily Halfmoon and the Witches’ Council

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Lily Halfmoon and the Witches’ Council
Xavier Bonet
Allen & Unwin

This is the second in the magical graphic novel series featuring nine year old secret witch Lily Halfmoon and her friends Mai and Gigi who live in Piedraville and help keep the town safe; Lily with her animal guardian and magical moonstone.

It’s the most important time of the year for witches, Samhain when the Witches’ Council holds its annual assembly. It’s when magic is at its strongest, and this year is Piedraville’s turn to host the activities: for three days and nights the Library will be filled with magic from all over the world as witches come together to introduce their gems and guardians, to dance and to learn new skills.

But on the second night of the celebrations Lily is accused of reckless use of her magic gemstone; it’s confiscated and she is forbidden to use her magic powers until she’s told otherwise. Who is the mystery figure that’s making problems for her? With the help of her friends can Lily solve the mystery and rescue the situation?

Eye-catchingly illustrated, this story, with themes of friendship, caring and resilience, is essentially about fighting for what you believe in and Lily surely does that. As the drama draws to a close she’s told she’s “a witch who advocates for the good of all” … “who cares about people.”

Bonet’s occasional pages giving more detailed information relating to the world he’s created such as the witches’ lunar calendar, the wheel of the year, a glossary of magical creatures as well as myths and legends about dragons and kelpies will appeal especially to readers with an interest in gemstones as well as fantastic happenings.

Bad United: Just For Kicks

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Bad United: Just For Kicks
Louise Forshaw
Little Tiger

Delivered in graphic novel form, this must surely be soccer at its silliest. It’s also great fun.
Meet Hoof the unicorn who desperately wants to be part of a team, but his previous club, unable to appreciate his talents, has just kicked him out. Wither next he wonders, and then he spots a notice for BAD UNITED. Off he trots in the hope of being given an opportunity to show his prowess to mermaid manager cum coach, Serena Winmer and become part of the squad.

Having been accepted, it’s time to meet his new teammates: captain Bones, a skeleton who isn’t always able to keep her head on, ROARsome Rex, dino. defender, striker Bolt the cheetah who brings the thunder and lightning, Tinkerball the definitely not sweet fairy with her dazzling moves, and Annette the super-large arachnid goalie. All these, so their previous teams have deemed, are sub-standard soccer players.

After some pretty intensive training, team Bad United enter their first tournament. They’re up against The Blazing Dragons – a formidable bunch with some very nifty moves.

But can the newbies sporting brand new kits, with their combination of strength, speed and skill. not to mention some aromatic assistance, remember coach’s spirit lifting words, get their act together, surprise the commentators and emerge victorious, even when they’re 0-5 down at half time?

An enjoyable read, especially for those who prefer stories where the visuals are dominant.

Monti and Leo: A Newcomer in Pocketville

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Monti and Leo: A Newcomer in Pocketville
Sylvie Kantorovitz
Walker Books

Pocketville as its sign says is, ‘a quiet little town’ and that’s just the way the animals living there want it. Like the others, Monti Mole dislikes change; he sticks to a daily routine but then one day, he discovers a stranger, Leo Lizard, sitting on his favourite rock. At a loss to know what to do, the mole goes home and has a sleepless night. Next morning there’s Leo again sitting on Monti’s rock, but this time the lizard’s genial greeting and ensuing kindness disarms the mole and a friendship starts to blossom.

At the bakery the following day it’s apparent that baker, Mrs Sheep is suspicious of the newcomer commenting, “These strangers! They never respect our ways.” and warning Monti against becoming Leo’s friend. The mole though speaks up for Leo and the two walk off together.

Later, as Monti and Leo are sitting on a log, they hear the sounds of music. It’s Mole’s friend Harriet strumming and singing and Monti introduces her to Leo. This leads them into deciding to hold a talent show that anyone can audition for. Off they go to the library to enlist the help of Carl Crow. Poecketville residents are at first interested but quickly turn reluctant thanks to Mrs Sheep’s crusty ways.

However Mole eventually succeeds in sweet-talking the curmudgeon into sharing her ‘gorgeous singing’ at the show; and just in the nick of time before the organisers call the whole thing off. Come show night, the entire Pocketville population is in attendance, either performing or watching and the show is a big success.

The book’s creator aptly dedicates this story to ‘anyone who has ever felt like a stranger’. With its themes of friendship and community building, it was so good to see Monti finding his own talent in the latter. Sylvie Kantorovitz effectively uses a muted colour palette, simple lines and patterning throughout presenting her tale in graphic novel format for younger readers, .

Looshkin: Honk If You See It! / Agent Harrier: This Book Will Self Destruct

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Looshkin: Honk If You See It!
Jamie Smart
David Fickling Books

Billed at the outset as ‘Looshkin – A Comprehensive Catalogue of His Rise to Fame, this is the third volume of delectably daft doings of the craziest cat in the world, created by maestro of madness Jamie Smart in his characteristic frenetic fashion.

Readers will delight in such doings as the blue moggy character tormenting the grey suited, bowler-hatted Mr Johnson, as well as a clown who thinks a good gimmick is to bring a large box of crabs to a children’s party and let the little nippers loose among the guests. Then there’s the episode of the lost fish finger that answers to the name of Sharon, the accidental morphing of Looshkin into a duck – well maybe and the proper ducks were certainly less than impressed. And just in case anybody you know is undergoing a vampire attack, they might well take a leaf out of our feline friend’s book and bombard it with chicken nuggets.

Stupidly brilliant or brilliantly stupid, whichever way you want to put it, youngsters will relish it. Adults? Well, they may want to take heed of this aroma alert: beware, there are a considerable number of farts between the covers of this book,

some even delivered straight to a certain person’s doorstep in a large cardboard box.

Agent Harrier: This Book Will Self Destruct
Ben Sanders
Little Tiger

Danger alert: with the book set to self-destruct in just five minutes, thanks to a bomb planted within its pages, Agent Harrier must follow the red wire to defuse it before it’s too late and everyone is blasted to smithereens. The clock is ticking and it seems he’s started chasing a red herring.

Though maybe that could turn out not to be such a terrible idea after all. Want to know who was responsible for planting the bomb? Then you’ll need to get your paws on a copy of the book super fast.
With zany daftness visual and verbal, from cover to cover, this punny spy caper with a twist or two, presented graphic novel style, is just right for newly independent readers.

Cactus Kid: The Battle for Star Rock Mountain

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Cactus Kid: The Battle for Star Rock Mountain
Emmanuel Guerrero
Flying Eye Books

In this first of a new graphic novel series Cactus Kid is in self-imposed exile in the Neverending Desert. His aim is to master magic and show his all-powerful father back in Florencia that he’s the best wizard of all time. For starters he needs a small piece of star rock, the stardust of which will upgrade his starter potion to master-grade. However others are also searching for the same thing and they’re not at all friendly. Though Cactus is a tough character, will he be put off by the mention of the Moto Brawl, a no holds barred race one of the competing teams wants him to participate in?

So begins a wacky adventure bursting with motor bikes and mayhem. There’s also a dark bounty-hunting lizard, armed with an other-worldly compass scouring the land for magic and the encounter between that lizard and Cactus Kid is pretty prickly.

During the course of the race Cactus Kid learns something very important: going it alone isn’t always the best way to go: An ally that has your back is sometimes what you need, especially one willing to part with one of their special possessions as a farewell offering.

As Cactus Kid heads off into the sunset in search of more magic, it’s good to discover that it’s not the last we readers will see of him. If your taste is for wacky magic, a lovable protagonist and terrific world building, then this dramatic offering delivered in powerful colours, comic book style, will surely fit the bill.

Secret Agent Mole

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Secret Agent Mole
James Foley
Scholastic

Anarchic nonsense in graphic novel form, this story introduces readers to secret agents in training Max Mole, Helena Hippo and June Bug, an unlikely trio if ever there was one. Under the watchful eyes of the judges, these friends are on a mission – their very first – to go up against the nefarious Dr Nude. However having done so, one of the three doesn’t satisfy the judges, which means that despite the other two passing with flying colours, the whole team fails the test. They still have two chances left though.

Then comes news of another case: the First Bank of New York has just been robbed and Interpol need their assistance. Eric Goldfishfinger and his pufferfish partner in crime have stolen 10 million $ in gold bars. Catching them is the next mission for the three trainees. The chase is on … Can they catch the fishy thieves before they get that priceless solid gold fish finger?

You never know: they might even live up to the new name agent Walrus has put forward for the agency: The Official International League Exterminating Terrorism with its inevitable acronym.
What will the judges back at HQ have decided about granting Max, Helena and Bug’s secret agent licences?

With a fair degree of TOILET humour, flushings of puns and other sizeable servings of silliness, this will get young readers giggling (and groaning) from start to finish.

Heroes / I Survived The Battle of D-Day, 1944

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Heroes
Alan Gratz
Scholastic


In this gripping story we follow best friends Frank and his Japanese American buddy Stanley who live in Pearl Harbour Hawaii. Frank’s father is a Navy fighter pilot and Stanley’s works at the Naval Air Station, with both families living on the base. It’s December 1941 and the two boys are sailing across the harbour brainstorming their own superhero comic book character (Frank is the writer, Stanley the illustrator) as the book opens. Frank is hiding a secret anxiety of getting hurt as a result of what he calls ‘The Incident’ but it becomes evident when he avoids helping Stanley confront bullies, which prompts Stanley to ask, “How do you think you can write about heroes if you can’t be one yourself?” At this time the war in Europe seems distant to the boys until that is, Frank’s sister’s boyfriend, Brooks, who is in the navy is showing the boys around a battleship and suddenly planes start dropping bombs on all the battleships.. They realise this isn’t a drill, it’s an attack by the Japanese.


As a consequence, the boys witness horror after horror. Then there’s the issue that Stanley appears Japanese and has Japanese ancestry meaning that he is suddenly subjected to racism. This causes the Japanese Americans to start digging holes in the yard to bury any relics or heirlooms relating to their ancestry. However the situation does ultimately allow Frank to address the episode that has long haunted him relating to friendship, loyalty and his own mental health. Can he overcome his fears and stand by his best friend even when they have to part? Before so doing though they agree to continue working on the comic. And so they do: the final chapter of the novel is followed by the two boys’ ten page comic, The Arsenal of Democracy.


Well researched, totally gripping, albeit heartbreaking where we read of those who perished in the attack and the responses of those who help the injured. Back matter includes a map of Pearl Harbour December 7 1941 and an author’s note, both of which are important.


Equally affecting, with a French setting and presented in graphic novel form is:

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I Survived The Battle of D-Day, 1944
Lauren Tarshis and Brian Churilla
Scholastic


As the book opens Paul Colbert is walking in the rain through the Normandy village where he lives with his mother. It’s been under Nazi occupation for a long time but he’s trying to forget this and the fact that his Jewish best friend is missing and focus on his mother’s birthday. He follows a pigeon and discovers a US army paratrooper, Sergeant Victor Lopez, caught in a tree having jumped from his plane. Paul helps to free him and rather than let him fall into enemy hands, he leads the man to a nearby abandoned castle.

Or so he thinks, for the building is actually being used as a resistance hideout. And, to his joy there he discovers his old teacher, Mr Leon, whom he thought was dead.

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Paul finds himself drawn into the underground organisation, playing a vital part in the Allies secret plans to cross the English Channel and land on the beaches of Normandy with the hope that France can be liberated.


Primary age readers, like this adult reviewer will be enthralled by this, especially the bravery shown by the Resistance and the military forces, and of course Paul. With the D-Day 80th anniversary this summer, this is a must for KS2/KS3 resources. (The author includes a timeline and other historical notes at the end of the book.)

Stitch Head: the graphic novel

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Stitch Head: the graphic novel
Guy Bass and Pete Williamson
Little Tiger


Stitch Head is a not quite human, long forgotten lonely little creation made by a mad professor in the sinister Castle Groteskew. Stitch Head stays around the castle endeavouring to ensure his master’s other creations be they with multiple limbs or missing eyes, don’t go wild in the nearby town and bring punishment down on his eccentric master.

After years of working behind the scenes, Stitch Head’s life is upended when Fulbert Freakfinder’s Travelling Circus rolls into his home town of Grubbers Nubbin and the owner and ringmaster demands entry. He’s on the lookout for further freaks to join his show and says he will make Stitch Head a star.

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What will be the response from Stitch Head? Will he venture beyond the castle walls or not?


Darkly monstrous fun and sometimes a tad gruesome, bursting with weird beings this spooky graphic novel version will appeal to those who prefer stories presented in a highly visual format. Many children are predominantly visual learners and so the new form will likely attract a different audience from the original book although I suspect established fans of Stitch Head will also enjoy this. Pete Williamson has done an absolutely amazing job with the art.

Pablo and Splash

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Pablo and Splash
Sheena Dempsey
Bloomsbury Children’s Books

Pablo and Splash are penguin pals living in Antarctica. Pablo, a home-loving creature, is perfectly satisfied with life; he loves the cold climate, the ice and consuming krill at every meal. Splash is more adventurous and yearns for a holiday in a warm sunny destination. After puzzling about how to get to a new exciting place, the two cascade into a scientist’s laboratory. The owner clearly has designs on them but they make a getaway thanks to her TimeBender machine,

next stop not sunny Fiji, the Bahamas or the Costa del Sol and fortunately not the sun (though that destination is a narrow miss); rather they find themselves in the Cretaceous Period. There aren’t any mocktails or water slides as Splash was hoping; instead the sandy terrain is full of very hungry dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures. Fortunately the friends succeed in evading the beasties. Not so the TimeBender however; this is badly damaged by the dinos.

Can the penguins manage to fix the ailing machine or are they doomed to be forever stuck far far from their lovely icy home? As always it looks as though it will be down to Pablo to come up with a solution.

This crazy comedy is Sheena Dempsey’s first graphic novel creation and what fun it is. The penguins’ facial expressions are a hoot and their bubble speak full of giggle-inducing ‘krilly’ word play. I suspect you’ll find it hard to resist this one. Let’s hope we see more of this delectable duo.

Bunny vs Monkey: Bunny Bonanza / Groosham Grange: the graphic novel

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Bunny vs Monkey: Bunny Bonanza!
Jamie Smart
David Fickling Books


If you’ve yet to make the acquaintance of Bunny et al. these wacky short stories (‘strips’) of the woodland dwelling creatures including the megolomaniac Monkey first appeared in The Phoenix comic. David Fickling Books published several compilation books of these and then bind-ups of which this is the latest.


As the new year begins down in the woods, all is well except that Bunny is inexplicably missing. We join the gang on their search for their floppy-eared pal. As they hunt high and low they encounter several imposters: there’s Robot Bunny, Neanderbunny, Old Bunny aka Algernon Withersnap the Third, Bunny Law, Shadow Bunny and even weirder, Not Bunny: Maybe Bunny is merely suffering from acute amnesia or are these other leporine forms due to some other phenomenon. Most important, having gone right through the year, will the real Bunny return to take possession of his residence?


Anarchic, brim full of high jinks (and some decidedly low ones), frenetic and with a plethora of giggle-inducing surreal happenings, this bumper volume left this reviewer’s head spinning.

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Groosham Grange: the graphic novel
Anthony Horowitz, adapted by Max L’Hermenier, illustrated by Clément Lefèvre
Walker Books


One of Horowitz’s classics is transformed into a hilarious graphic novel version.
We follow David Eliot from the time his parents, despairing over the fact that their son has been expelled from his school Beton College, decide to send him to Groosham Grange, an establishment in a gothic castle on Skull Island with a reputation for sorting out rebellious pupils.


Not long after his arrival David overhears a conversation taking place in the headmaster’s study to the effect that something very nasty is going to happen to him and possibly the new friends Jill and Jeffery whom he met on the train..


They discover that every night the other pupils go to the library and then disappear. The three really must make an escape plan though it may not be possible for anyone to escape Groosham Grange.


Full of thrills and spooky chills, this is weird and strangely gripping.

The Adventures of Invisible Boy

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The Adventures of Invisible Boy
Doogie Horner
Scholastic

In this rib-tickling graphic novel Stanley aka the Invisible Boy is the new kid in town. Stanley just loves to experiment and invent things: his parents though, would much prefer his spare time was spent on building with Lego.
En route to school with his elder sister and stressing about being the new boy, he encounters Gene (short for genius so he says) carrying an entry for the school science fair. More stress for Stanley but his teacher offers him materials to build his own entry. He makes a robot and his enthusiastic teacher places it alongside the other entries on display.

All Stanley wants is to vanish there and then, so instead of remaining by his exhibit he takes a wander around.. Meanwhile classmate Gene reveals his green ‘stain remover’: turns out that it can remove rather more than the grape juice in his demonstration. Oops! Spillage! Could it be the world’s original disappearing serum?

Stanley leaves school and heads downtown to take advantage of his invisibility. He certainly has a lot of fun but on returning home discovers that not everyone is so enthusiastic about his newfound power.

After a night alone, Stanley too has lost his pep. Time to seek out the stain-remover’s creator and start to put things to rights. Villain or friend, which will he prove to be?
The zany illustrations and speech bubbles are littered with Horner’s laugh-inducing humour but he also pays due attention to the characters’ anxiety, especially Stanley’s.

The Deadlands: Trapped / Press Start: Super Rabbit Boy vs Super Rabbit Boss!

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The Deadlands: Trapped
Skye Melki-Wegner
Walker Books

In this the second of the series the last surviving dinosaurs continue to do battle for territory and a cabal of the carnivorous kind are aiming to provide a killing field of plant eaters on which to feed.
But with the predators drawing ever closer, Eleri and the other members of the Grotto herd decide to go on the attack. Out on a scouting exercise, Zyre is spotted and with their whereabouts now known to the enemy they need to find a hiding place. But what is the Feast of Flames that Zyre has heard the enemies speaking of?
As night turns to day it seems that the only choice for Eleri et al, so Zyre suggests, is to head towards the Salted Scorch, a secret path across the Deadland. Perilous, yes but they might be able to enlist some help and anyway they are out of options.
So, on they go, only to discover a general and her squad of raptors are hot on their trail, not safe at all but in the magma-heated tunnels of the Fire Peak, headquarters of the Carrion Kingdom. Surely not? But it is so and they’re trapped right at its heart.
Now, not only are they facing the likelihood of being captured and the horror of being consumed at any time, the exiles then come upon a captive herd of herbivores urgently requiring rescuing. Moreover the carnivores have a stash of weapons. This means that the continuing overarching carnivores vs herbivores war will henceforward be devastatingly different.
As things become ever more perilous, can Zyre and the others free the prisoners? It will need a ruthless plan but if successful it might just secure their release.

With nail-biting happenings coming thick and fast, this twisting, turning fantasy adventure will have readers on the edge of their seats right through to the end, an end that doesn’t mean the war is finally over.
For younger readers is

Press Start: Super Rabbit Boy vs Super Rabbit Boss!
Thomas Flintham
Nosy Crow

An addition to Thomas Flintham’s series based on video gaming, this fourth story begins with Super Rabbit Boy setting out on a rescue mission, destination Boom Boom Factory, home of his enemy King Viking. On arrival he enters a room he thinks is the King’s workshop and there he ignores a ‘Do Not Push Button’, warning sign. Big mistake! He finds himself in a back-to-front world where everyone good is now bad and everyone bad is now good including King Viking – confusing indeed.
How will Super Rabbit Boy extricate himself from all weirdness and find his way back to his proper world?

Great for building reading confidence, this is brimming over with brightly coloured comic style illustrations. It will appeal especially to young readers who are partial to video games.

The Dog Squad: The Newshound / Peanut, Butter & Crackers: River Rescue

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The Dog Squad: The Newshound
Clara Vulliamy
Harper Collins Children’s Books

Eva has always wanted to be a journalist, so when she finds a stray dog almost outside her home, she could have found her first real case. Can she, along with her best friends, Ash and Simone, at the Newshound local newspaper, find the real owner of Wafer, as she names the whippet on account of his thinness. This is necessary because Eva’s mum insists that the dog can only stay with them in their rented flat for one night, partly because their landlord has a strictly no pets policy.

However the search the friends undertake leads to a series of dead ends during which Eva becomes more and more convinced she doesn’t really want to solve the mystery of Wafer’s owner anyway.

This first of Clara’s new series for younger KS2 readers introduces some charming characters: Eva, the star reporter, is compassionate, determined and sticks to her principles. Then there’s Simone who is artistic, and ‘brainy’ Ash who happens to be non-binary.

Can Eva overcome the obstacles she faces, including the landlord and his no pets rule,

and perhaps even get to keep Wafer?

The story includes several issues which are important for children to understand: the responsibilities involved in having a pet being the main one, but also touched on is puppy farming and the treatment of unwanted pets, as well as the aforementioned gender alignment. With plentiful black and white illustrations by the author to captivate and motivate less confident solo readers, this will warm the hearts of youngsters, whether or not they are dog lovers like Eva. Who knows it might even encourage some children to become animal rights activists .

Peanut, Butter & Crackers: River Rescue
Paige Braddock
Nosy Crow

The second of the funny graphic novel series for pooch and cat lovers sees the friends off in their human’s camper van to spend some time in the great outdoors.

When the decidedly indoor moggy, Butter, discovers that said human has not brought a litter tray, he decides to go and search the forest for one. Otherwise, how will he go to the loo. Having clawed an exit hole through the mesh, off he sets accompanied by Peanut the puppy, on a litter tray exploration. However they get lost and then things rapidly deteriorate when Butter hears the sound of running water and misunderstands what this means. What it does mean is that the two friends suddenly find themselves in a river, clinging to a lump of log for dear life.

Meanwhile Crackers has discovered the two are missing and is searching for them. Can he locate and rescue them? Perhaps, with some assistance from a precision-obsessed beaver.

Full of heart, very amusing and just right for new solo readers, particularly those who are keen on visual storytelling. Bonus pages give guidance on how to draw the three characters, a peep behind the scenes and a sneak peep at the next book in the series.

Mason Mooney Supernatural Sleuth

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Mason Mooney Supernatural Sleuth
Seaerra Miller
Flying Eye Books

This is the third and final story of the world’s greatest paranormal investigator, Mason Mooney.

With his heart currently in another dimension thanks to Nosam, Mason’s evil Doppelgänger, Mason and his best friend, Iris, are bemused by the sudden appearance of pits around Grimbrook. Despite the foul stench, they realise they must follow the person who disappears through a manhole and enters a warren of underground passages.

Before you can say, ‘Emerald Palm’, the two friends are on a mission to get hold of the Hand of Glory before Talitha finds it and creates total havoc. However, Iris has just been handed a necklace – the only one available – welcoming her as a member of the Order of the Emerald Palm; this causes Mason to get a fit of jealousy, the two get separated and end up in different dimensions. Mason then faces a number of challenges against Nosam in order to obtain he thinks, the Hand of Glory.

However things go badly wrong for Mason. Then he meets Constance, chats and realises that only by overcoming his jealousy can he stand a chance of getting his heart back, finding Iris and saving Grimbrook. With nothing more to lose, your favourite investigator will give it his all.

Thoroughly engaging, fast-paced and presented with panache, this series finale will surely satisfy Mason’s followers.

Peanut, Butter & Crackers: Puppy Problems

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Peanut, Butter & Crackers: Puppy Problems
Paige Braddock
Nosy Crow

Butter (a cat) and Crackers (a dog) are rescue animals living a life of harmony – more or less – until their human brings home a large box containing not snacks aplenty as they’d hoped, but Peanut, a puppy. Said puppy pees in such inappropriate places as beside Crackers’ water bowl – not the thing to do to a sensitive, considerate home loving dog – especially when the pup then proceeds to drink from the bowl and gobble up Crackers’ favourite crunchy food. If that’s not bad enough, young Peanut keeps both Crackers and Butter up at night and then has the audacity to demolish half of Crackers’ breakfast before the dog has surfaced after a decidedly delayed sleep. The little mischief then upends the rubbish bin leaving the contents strewn across the floor.

My favourite part was Butter introducing the toilet as a jacuzzi and demonstrating how it works; we end up with loo paper strewn across the bathroom floor and wrapped around instigator of the incident. 

This is followed by chewed trainers, a chomped cushion and dare I say, shredded books.

Back comes the human: now surely such has been the puppy’s behaviour it will mean farewell to him but all that happens is a finger wagging, not even a raised voice. Something must be done and done it is, accidentally on purpose by Butter, at night and it results in the Peanut being alone and lost in the dark. 

This could be the time when, for the two long-time residents, compassion kicks in. Can the three find a way to co-exist so all ends happily in this first book in a series of highly humorous graphic novels?

Paige Braddock’s action-packed illustrations together with the affable banter between Butter and Crackers make for an ideal comic book style starter that younger readers will love, be they or be they not, pet lovers. (An author’s note explains that Peanut, Butter, and Crackers are based on her real life pets; she also provides introductory character information and a pictorial map of the setting.)

Barry Loser Double Trouble!

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Barry Loser Double Trouble!
Jim Smith
Farshore

Here we have three more supremely silly episodes in the life of the boy with an unfortunate surname and his entourage.

The first, Doppelbärry, sees complete consternation among those on their way to school, when they are summoned to Mogden Square to receive an announcement from the owner of Fronkle Corp regarding the substitution of their favourite drink Fronke with a new, and so the company would have it believe, improved version. Moreover, any remaining cans of the original have been destroyed. Surely things can’t get any worse.

Actually, they can ,for when they arrive at school, their teacher announces the arrival of a newbie in the class, one Harry Doozer, who bears an uncanny resemblance to Barry.

Harry and his family have just moved into the neighbourhood.
From then on the day goes from awful to atrocious ,with some temporary hairlessness, until that is, the gang members pay a visit to a recently opened antique shop, after which things begin to look a whole lot better …

Episode two has Barry judging The short story telling competition during which some pretty terrible tales are told, one starring Bogey and Poopoo with an ending that leaves one of the two characters devastated.

Think Big, episode three, involves these letters DEENTH – gigantic ones at that – and the strong possibility of being stuck inside Darren Darrenofski’s brain forever. Clearly that can’t happen or we’d have no more totally ridunkulous stories featuring Barry et al. – no the adjective I just used is not a misprint, but my made up word, invented long before a very similar one that occurs herein.

Nonsensical surreal absurdity that will be a winner for the countless, already established fans of Barry and no doubt bag him a fair few new followers too.

Agent Moose For Your Spies Only

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Agent Moose For Your Spies Only
Mo O’Hara and Jess Bradley
Scholastic


This bumper volume contains three previously published Agent Moose books: Agent Moose, Agent Moose on a Mission and Agent Moose: Operation Owl.


In Agent Moose, Special Agent Anonymoose and his owl sidekick Owlfred, are tasked with the case of a missing turtle. With Agent Anonymoose feeling bitter that Camo Chameleon has been awarded his ‘100 crimes solved’ trophy, Moose and Owlfred set about tracking down Terrance Turtle, witness in a recent high-profile robbery. However it seems that something is awry at South Shore where it transpires folks are disappearing, never to be seen again. Is this something to do with Camo who is busy hosting a party to celebrate his award? As Anonymoose and Owlfred are going to have to go undercover to discover what is happening to the Big Forest animals, it’s as well that, thanks to the former’s skill they are able to assume a number of disguises, a mermaid, a palm tree, and a coconut for instance.

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Owlfred’s ability to remain calm in a crisis is an asset too. Can they crack this challenging case? You bet they can and in so doing they’ll have readers thoroughly engaged throughout, giggling at the wealth of jokes and the shenanigans of the criminal chasers.


Jess Bradley’s hilarious artwork and Mo O’Hara’s super funny story make for a highly accessible graphic novel, whether or not readers are making their first foray into the genre.


During a period of quiet Agent Moose has been passing the time working on a personal theme tune in advance of a visit from his grandmother. Having met her at the railway station with Owlfred, after Granny’s spectacular appearance, the family reunion is interrupted by an urgent request for help from Woodland HQ.


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Once again our not-so-super sleuth sets out to save the day with Owlfred at his side, and Granny along for the ride, just so long as she doesn’t embarrass him; it’s a case of Agent Moose on a Mission. The animals in the forest are being intimidated into giving up their prize possessions by someone, leaving them too terrified to disclose who it is. As the three of them search for clues, drink hot cocoa and attempt to interview victims, it soon becomes clear that they are facing a daunting opponent. Summoning all his courage .Agent Moose battles with his fear of heights in an attempt to save the day in this second exciting, giggle-inducing story.


Agent Moose: Operation Owl sees Moose and his Not-Quite-So-Special-Agent Owlfred on an assignment to discover who is responsible for the flash floods that are causing havoc in the Big Woods. The pressure really increases when Moose’s boss Madame HQ disappears, seemingly kidnapped; but by whom? No prizes for guessing who’s responsible. If Moose can pull off this mission, he might just get that article in The News of the Wild paper he so badly wants. If the excellent disguises are anything to go by, he certainly deserves so to do. And Owlfred receives a well-deserved surprise too.


If you know any primary readers yet to discover Agent Moose, this book of three stories is an absolute bargain and what a wealth of language lessons they will absorb as they follow the splendid silliness.

Batpig: Go Pig or Go Home

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Batpig: Go Pig or Go Home
Rob Harrell
Walker Books

Porcine superhero, Gary, is back with two more stories of skylarking presented in graphic novel format.
The first, Careful What You Wish For, sees Gary getting his snout in a twist at the prospect of the history and biology tests the following day. Nevertheless, rather than staying at home and studying that night, he assumes his Batpig alter ego and heads out into the city to fight crime.

As a reward for preventing a robbery at the Weird Old Magic Shop, the owner gives Batpig a pouch containing a magical learning potion. Back at home Gary decides how to word his spell command and then goes off to sleep.

It will come as no surprise when I say that the spell does not go to plan. The following morning he wakes to find Sharkraham, come to assist with the tests, which it does. Whether or not this is cheating is a debatable question. Twenty four hours later Gary has something far, far worse than a couple of tests to worry about;

something in the form of a destructive squown or evil squid clown. It would appear from the beastie that our porcine pal has a vital lesson to learn. Will Gary ever work out what that is and if so, will he finally hold his trotter up and admit that doing well in tests by devious means is wrong?

In the second episode, Camp Danger, Gary (sans his suit), along with buddies Brook and Carl, is off to sleep-away Camp Moldy Snout.

Before long Carl has made some new friends, then too does Brook; this makes Gary feel rather excluded. But then after some alarming incidents in and around the lake including the emergence of a very frightening monster, Gary decides he must step in. even if it results in him revealing his secret identity to the other campers.

This is bad enough but it leads to his arch enemy and self-dubbed greatest ever supervillain, The Butcher, appearing on the scene and she means big trouble.

High energy humour at the heart of which is friendship. Fans of Gary et al will devour this eagerly.

Luna and the Treasure of Tlaloc

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Luna and the Treasure of Tlaloc
Joe Todd-Stanton
Flying Eye Books

At the start of this, the fifth of the Brownstone Mythical Collection series, Professor Brownstone introduces readers to Luna Brownstone, the most cunning of all the Brownstones. Daughter of renowned and respected adventurers known for their selfless acts, Luna decides after her parents were robbed and left abandoned while on a mission, that she would look after nobody but herself. This is just what she did: running away from home as soon as she was old enough, Luna began stealing priceless treasures from all over the world.

On the hunt for her next treasure, she goes to Aztec America and there learns of a young girl, Atzi, who has volunteered to undertake a journey, taking an offering, to the Aztec rain god Tlaloc and imploring him to save her village from drought. Luna decides on a cunning plan: she’ll befriend the girl, take her map and find the rain god on her own.

Their journey to his home beneath a sacred mountain is full of hazards including strange creatures

and they have to solve a riddle to discover the entrance to the palace. Luna realises that she must work with Atzi to navigate powerful waterfalls and evade hungry creatures, avoid dangerous ice shards and much more. Suddenly as they near their destination, Atzi is in peril of her life. Luna finds herself unable to let her die, though she doesn’t abandon her plan to steal the gold offering.

But is there something else that matters more than treasure and self- interest: Luna is soon faced with a crucial decision: does she have within her the power to change?

Luna is a rather different protagonist from others in the picture book cum graphic novel series – an anti-hero – and as always, Joe Todd-Stanton’s richly coloured illustrations for this thought-provoking story are full of wonderful details to pore over.

Total Splashdown / Press Start: Super Rabbit Racers!

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Total Splashdown
Beth Garrod & Jess Hitchman, illustrated by Chris Danger
Scholastic

This is two stories in one book and features those five inflatable pool float pals, Flamingo, Cactus, Donut, Watermelon and Lynn Lilo, residents of Have a Great Spray Water Park.

The first, Do-Nut Panic sees the friends, led by Donut on an epic quest to find the one and only remaining Cookie of Contentment, thus preventing the closing down (so they think) of the Slip ’N’ Slice Pizza stall. Said quest is perhaps THE most dangerous on earth and certainly in the entire inflataverse. Needless to say their journey is fraught with dangers,

not to mention a fair few disasters as the puffed up pals head towards the desert island whereon said Cookie is heavily guarded by not one but three protectors, Fickle Pickle, Energetic Enchilada and Unimpressed Pretzel.
Could our questers be on a hiding to nothing? It certainly seems so when they fail dismally to sweet talk the three into handing over their keys. But our friends don’t give up that easily: let the show begin. Crumbs! That pretty much sums up the next few spreads but all ends let’s say, pretty tastily.

However before they’ve had time to digest those cloned goodies, the gang are off on another mega daft adventure: The Splash of the Titans. Bring on those Air-lympic Games – the most competitive day in the inflate calendar and bring on Team Watermelon. Needless to say there’s a lot of shenanigans from some of the other entrants but which team will emerge victorious, winners of the much coveted Golden Pump?

Replete with puns and jokes, these super-silly stories with those mega-dramatic black and white graphics will have readers rolling around at the delicious daftness of this graphic novel.

Press Start: Super Rabbit Racers!
Thomas Flintham
Nosy Crow

Book three in the Press Start graphic novel series follows along similar lines as the previous two, only Chris has joined Sunny and Rue to play the Super Rabbit video game, Rabbit Racers, which is new to him.

Obviously the main conflict is between the racers, with King Viking determined to win the Super Cup (a special power up that gives the winner the power of super speed) and he’ll go to any lengths to do so. However there’s also a bit of bad feeling at one stage between Sunny and Rue over an accidental sideswipe. With four races in all, who will be the victor in the Super Cup Grand Prix?

Like the previous books this fast moving tale is ideal for new solo readers with a penchant for video games.

Monster Support Group: The Werewolf’s Tale

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Monster Support Group: The Werewolf’s Tale
Laura Suarez
Flying Eye Books

Being true to yourself and celebrating difference are key themes in this the first of the new Monster Support Group series.

The book begins with Lowell entering an underground room where a meeting is being held. He sits down and begins his story.
We hear that he has recently moved to the village with his family and is struggling to fit in at his new school. He is rather different and has become the target for the bullies, Cassius Steel and his cronies. Then the changes started. Initially Lowell thought these were just ordinary, growing-up kind of changes: becoming hairier, moodier and smellier but then came the stranger changes that despite his best efforts, cannot be hidden.

After a particularly bad day at school he shut himself in his bedroom but his twin sister, Lys appeared on the scene, just as Lowell was morphing into a werewolf. This it transpires is on account of an ancient family curse. The following morning the twins visit the library to do some research about werewolves 

and come upon several books containing legends about them including the one his father had mentioned the previous night; each one mentions possible cures for the curse. 

These he tries but despite apparently having beaten the curse, the very next month on full moon night, it’s evident that the cures haven’t worked.

Back to the library go Lowell and Lys where they discover the Monster Support Group. Lowell joins the group and shares that story. Can anybody there help him with his ‘furry’ problem? Or is he happier being his unique self?

Drawing on mythology, this is a vibrantly illustrated, enjoyable story with a vital message about being yourself and that works for anyone; but those who see the werewolf trope as a metaphor for a boy’s transition from puberty through adolescence, into maturity, will find it somewhat strange that although the blurb says Lowell is twelve, he is portrayed as several years younger.

Hilda: The Night of the Trolls

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Hilda: The Night of the Trolls
Luke Pearson
Flying Eye Books

This large format book contains Hilda and the Stone Forest and Hilda and the Mountain King, the fifth and sixth of the amazing graphic novel series.

In case you’ve not met Hilda before, she’s a blue-haired girl who lives with her mum and Twig, her fox-with-antlers pet, in a remote mountain cottage and then, later, in the city of Trolberg. Hilda finds adventure irresistible and in Hilda and the Stone Forest we first find her involved in the usual Hilda style adventure as she and Twig are chasing a small patch of ground that has weirdly grown legs and run off carrying atop itself a very small house full of very small people whom Hilda is desperately trying to rescue. Suddenly however, she realises that she’s late for Sunday dinner with her Mum and home she dashes taking the tiny house with her. During dinner, she succeeds in keeping what she’s been doing from Mum and meanwhile the residents of the tiny house sample the fare.

Dinner over, the girl tells her mum she’s going out again and off she goes, supposedly to the park; but this is Hilda and that isn’t exactly what happens. Eventually, after insisting the two of them go out together, which proves pretty eventful, Hilda’s mum grounds her. The girl then employs teleportation skills to escape the confines of her room but Mum grabs hold of her, things go haywire and mother and daughter end up lost in a stone forest wherein live the trolls.

Happily the two of them manage to survive what proves to be a weird and sometimes perilous adventure, one that isn’t over, but is continued in Hilda and the Mountain King.

Hilda, still in the Stone Forest has now morphed into a troll child whereas her Mum is back home caring for a troll baby. While in the wilds with the trolls, it becomes evident to Hilda that increasing numbers of trolls are being called to Trolberg’s outskirts and that could well mean trouble is on its way.

The troll mother that is looking after Hilda offers to re-humanise her but Hilda must find and bring in return, ‘something very special from the horde of the Mountain King’.

Can Hilda pull this off?

Without spoiling the ending, I’ll just say, the finale is a terrific culmination and revelation that ties everything together; but it’s a real shame that this is the end of Luke Pearson’s wonderful and wondrous graphic novel series. Long live Hilda and her indomitable spirit of adventure.

Juniper Mae: Knight of Tykotech City

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Juniper Mae: Knight of Tykotech City
Sarah Soh
Flying Eye Books

Juniper Mae, a young inventor, lives in Tykotech City, a wonderful place on account of its residents having their energy sourced from within by The Core, so that they have no need to venture into the deep dangerous forest surrounding the city to obtain resources. Now though unexplained problems with The Core have started causing power cuts.

One night when out testing her latest invention, the Juni Jet, (a high velocity jetpack with miniaturised hyperdrive), The Core’s power cuts out causing Juniper to crash land in the forest. Hearing a sound, she fears it heralds the approach of one of the terrible beasts the city folk talk of, but instead what appears is a tiny creature – a tama-tama – that looks rather endearing.
The creature introduces himself as Albie, offers his help to guide her home and accompanies Juniper in the hope that she’ll show him the city.

First though, Albie shows her his own village where she notices some unusual plant lights she’s told are sourced from kabbage seeds, and then in his hut, the artefact he’d mentioned that could help her. He also tells Juniper that this object had once belonged to the Guardian Knights, the ancient protectors of both humans and tama-tamas, thus giving both groups a shared antiquity. Albie gives his new friend both the ancient sword and an ancient map and they both go back to Juniper’s home.

Juniper investigates how the kabbage seeds work but just as she’s done so the city is invaded by metal monsters. Are they responsible for the power losses? Juniper is a determined character and with Albie’s assistance, together with the artefact and the newly discovered power source, she sets about saving the city and the forest. Can the spirit of those Guardian Knights supercharge her confidence.

Sarah Soh’s graphic style presentation of Juniper’s world is immediately immersive with its wealth of glowing images and lots of mechanical detail; there’s a gripping fast-paced plot that includes lots of dialogue and leaves readers satisfied with the resolution of one mystery but eager to meet Juniper and Albie again in the two further tales. I love the mix of technology and nature and that the main protagonist is passionate about STEM subjects.

Batpig: Too Pig To Fail

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Batpig: Too Pig To Fail
Rob Harrell
Walker Books

Batpig, aka Gary, returns along with his pals Brooklyn (bat) and Carl (fish) in three further episodes.

In the first, The Class that Wouldn’t End, the three are stuck in what seems to be a never ending maths class: something is definitely wrong here – it’s apparent even to maths fan Brooklyn. It turns out that the slowness of time is on account of vengeful Time Guy (the name Timekeeper was already taken). Thanks to a ‘supernatural bolt of energy’ Time Guy is now able to control time and has gone rogue. Batpig must now figure out how to make time fly if they ever want to escape the monotony of endless fractions. 

Could fun be the answer? …

The (much shorter) middle story Aquarium Dreams features ‘fin socks’ – a scam by all accounts, or rather Carl’s – and bees – which he greatly fears. This sets things up nicely for episode three, Light, Camera, Chaos! This crazy comedy features a pair of space aliens, a torrent of stinky gym socks and a Bumblekitten intent on attacking Mrs Fishbol’s establishment. Can Gary et al. save the day again?

Supportive friendships are key in these super-hero scenarios.

Established fans will gobble up Too Pig To Fail; those new to the gang might be better to start with When Pigs Fly and then move on to this one.