Billy Stuart and the Zintrepids

September 1, 2018

Gr 2-5-Billy Stuart, a raccoon, is the grandson of globe-trotting adventurer extraordinaire Virgil Stuart, who has found a secret passageway to time travel. In this first book in the series, packed with riddles, saucy sidebars, mini-comics, and illustrations, Billy ventures to Belcher's Cavern with his fellow scouts, the Zintrepids-including a fox, skunk, weasel, and chameleon-to see his relative off on the biggest adventure of his life. Billy and his friends brave the great outdoors-black bears, thunderstorms, a flood, dead ends, stalactites, and a daemon-bat-to bid farewell to Virgil. Following his clues and cave markings, the friends just miss Grandpa, but inadvertently embark on an exploit of their own. "Troop, we are...elsewhere. Where and when? I don't know. But under our feet, there is a whole new world to discover." Readers will impatiently await future titles to see where the Zintrepids land next. VERDICT Jon Scieszka's "Time Warp Trio" meets "Geronimo Stilton" in this full-color hybrid, which should appeal to reluctant readers and avid readers alike.-Barbara Auerbach, Formerly at New York City Public Schools

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2018
In this Canadian import, translated from the French, a young raccoon named Billy Stuart sets out on an adventure through time. Kilt-wearing Billy lives in the town of Cavendish, where he begrudgingly walks his neighbors' poodle, FrouFrou. Billy also leads the Zintrepids, a scout troop of five animals (well, six, if you include FrouFrou). One day, a letter from Billy's grandfather arrives, inviting Billy to join him at a newly discovered passageway through time in Belcher's Cavern. But there's a snag: Billy's grandfather's journey is the same day Billy has a forest hike with his scout troop! Can he complete the hike and also see his grandfather? Told mostly in first person from Billy's perspective, the narrative sets some words apart in bolded, brightly colored type to add emphasis. Numerous yellow sticky notes (from author Bergeron, who claims to have met Billy) corroborate the story's events. Sampar's full-color cartoon illustrations add a cinematic quality, especially in the text's occasional comic-book panels. Simple vocabulary, ample leading, and supporting spot illustrations make this a good transitional chapter book. Still, the overall narrative structure juggles too much and sacrifices plot for the sake of its own cleverness. Some puzzle games are included between chapters--though they are not referenced in the plot. The ending suggests future adventures for the Zintrepids.An interesting series opener that gets lost on its own trail. (puzzle solutions) (Graphic/fiction hybrid. 6-10)

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