Wolfie Monster and the Big Bad Pizza Battle

April 15, 2019
With the help of his brothers, Jackson and Roy, Wolfie Monster tests the saying that even bad pizza is still good—even if his pies never turn out well, they may just save the day. The siblings own Magik Cheez Pizza, which barely holds on until successful Lord Mudpant opens up a chain pizza restaurant nearby. Jackson and Roy are ready to sell, but Wolfie refuses to give up the family business to Lord Mudpant, who receives this news like any good villain seeking world domination—badly. Before long, Lord Mudpant and his thugs have turned most of the citizenry into zombies and robots, and it’s up to Wolfie and his bestie Bea to save not just the family restaurant but also the town. Near-insane optimism and constant cheer evoke a bit of SpongeBob, and everything from the idiosyncratic characters (jubilant Wolfie has one eye and bird feathers) to servings of the ridiculous (one needs to put on a puppet show to make a pizza) offer the book the feel of a Saturday morning cartoon. Ages 7–9.

June 1, 2019

Gr 2-5-Jackson, Roy, and Wolfie Monster run the Magik Cheez Pizza shop, left to them by their uncle Gary. Despite older brother Jackson's best efforts, the business doesn't flourish, thanks to wacky antics and subpar pizza. When the Happy Leaf Corporation comes to Oak Hollow, bringing cheap and tasty pizza and millions of dollars of advertising, the Monster brothers seem doomed to fail. Then their humble shop becomes part of a plot to take over Oak Hollow and the world as customers are turned into Happy Leaf-obsessed consumer zombies. Now the brothers, their neighbors, and Wolfie's new best friend Bea will need to use their cunning to take down Happy Leaf's CEO, Lord Mudpant. Zombies, kidnapping, and robot battles with cartoony, Muppet-like characters; colorful illustrations; and zany humor will appeal to younger readers and lovers of the absurd. VERDICT This ridiculous and fun twist on a well-worn trope will charm the legions of readers who can't get enough "Captain Underpants," "Dog Man," and "Lunch Lady" books.-Ariana Hussain, St. Patrick's Episcopal Day School, Washington, DC

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.