Stinky Cecil in Operation Pond Rescue

December 8, 2014
Braddock, best known for her long-running syndicated comic, Jane’s World, introduces the wisecracking denizens of a pond that is threatened by highway construction. Braddock’s expertise with the pacing of three-panel comics is on full display—while there is an overall trajectory, the story hops from one zinger to the next. Animal-themed puns are abundant (“I’m a toad, not a tree frog, you know,” grouses protagonist Cecil, as he unsuccessfully attempts to scale the tree where Jeff, a “free-range hamster,” lives in luxury), as are gotcha gags. “Poor Cecil... he hates flying,” deadpans Jeremy, a worm, after a hawk snatches the toad away. Braddock’s polished cartoons (seen in b&w by PW) play up the story’s broad comedy (several jokes revolve around Cecil’s scent-based defense mechanisms and Jeremy’s lack of appendages) and move the action forward steadily in sequential panels—typically two to four per page. The focus is on entertainment over ecology, but readers will still pick up useful information, particularly in a series of mini-adventures that close out the story. Ages 7–12. (Feb.) ■

February 1, 2015

Gr 1-5-The quiet and predictable pond life of five animal friends is threatened one day as Cecil, a toad, notices construction on a new highway expanding in the direction of their habitat. Stopping the work of a construction site is no small task, but the small group of amphibians, their hamster friend, and a reincarnating fly are determined to save their home. The large-paneled art and cartoonlike illustrations complement the tone of the story well, which blends weighty themes such as life deforestation and habitat destruction with the light and often hilarious dialogue. Braddock organically works in facts about the animals, but no lesson is too lofty or overstated that it takes away from the book's flow. There are even a few moments where the characters call attention to something strange or unlikely about the plot, each time feeling as though Braddock is winking at readers. The solution to saving the pond does not come directly from the characters' own ideas, and yet kids will find it satisfying and perhaps even unexpected. VERDICT This work should appeal to a wide variety of readers-especially science teachers-because of its focus on habitats, deforestation, and endangered species.-Matthew C. Winner, Ducketts Lane Elementary School, Elkridge, MD

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 1, 2014
Stopping a highway project that threatens his pond is going to take more than Cecil the toad's ability to "toot."Cecil discovers the danger thanks to a short flight in the talons of a predatory but, fortunately, olfactorily sensitive hawk. Once safely back in the water, he calls together several pondside buddies including Jeremy the earthworm and Jeff, a "free-range hamster," to brainstorm solutions to the crisis. Alas, it turns out to be not so easy for small creatures to stop giant bulldozers. Nothing if not nervy, Cecil even enlists the hawk to help by dropping rocks. No dice-"Catch you later," the raptor sneers meaningfully as it flies off. Braddock's experience illustrating A Charlie Brown Valentine (2002) and other post-Schulz Peanuts productions stands her in good stead here, as she presents in big cartoon panels a cast of neatly drawn creatures whose pithy commentary (the insectivorous Cecil, on his friendship with Reggie the fly: "Ours is a complex relationship") is more sophisticated than their pratfalls and other broad antics. Just as all seems lost, two human biologists recognize another buddy, RayRay, as a rare "Jollyville Plateau salamander," and the pond is saved. A pair of miniepisodes and assorted worm and Bufo americanus facts cap this wry eco-fable. Colored illustrations not seen. Bufo buffoonery for fans of the Holms' Squish series and like early graphics. (Graphic fantasy. 6-8)

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January 1, 2015
Grades 2-4 Cecil, an American toad, lives at a pond along with his friends Sprout the frog, Rayray the lizard, Jeremy the earthworm, and Reggie the fly. When Cecil and Jeremy visit Jeff the hamster, who lives in a tree by the pond, a hawk grabs Cecil. While the hawk flies with Cecil in his talons, the toad sees a big freeway project underway and realizes the pond is in its path. Using his stinky gas glands, Cecil escapes from the hawk and rallies his friends to try to stop the road construction and save their homes. While Cecil and his friends do some anthropomorphic things, such as Jeff driving a remote-controlled car, they also behave like the creatures they are. Debut graphic-novel artist Braddock uses clear, simple lines in her colorful art, which younger readers should easily be able to read and understand. The book includes some facts about the American toad and the common earthworm, and teachers and librarians can find teaching and activity guides at the publisher's website.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)