The Flying Beaver Brothers and the Mud-Slinging Moles

July 1, 2013

Gr 2-6-What could have been another inane slapstick-ridden set of animal adventures is saved in a big way by unusual characters and a wonderfully dry, deadpan sense of humor. Ace and Bub live on a forested island in a large body of water in an undetermined location. Various threats seem to constantly destroy the tranquillity of their preferred way of life, and the brothers are called upon to keep the peace using their wits, moxie, and more than a little bit of good luck. In book three, a boatload of moles with a population-control problem on their own island is trying to steal dirt from Beaver Island using a gargantuan vacuum cleaner. In book four, an enterprising fish attempts to clear one of the islands of its residents by pitting birds and bunnies against one another. As each group tries to drive the other away, Walter Mackerel the Fourth makes plans to open a resort for Squirrels. Each time, the brothers manage to restore order, but one always gets the impression that they'd much rather be taking it easy. This adds immeasurably to the charm of the series, fit to join the ranks of other popular kids' comics series like Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm's "Babymouse" (Random) and Michael Townsend's "Kit Feeny" (Knopf). Simple cartoon artwork keeps the focus on the action, using black, grays, and one additional color (different for each volume).-J. M. Poole, Webster Public Library, NY

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 15, 2013
Eaton has learned an important truth: One of the great joys of reading comic books is the sound effects. The Flying Beaver Brothers series may have the best sound effects in all of comics. "RORP!" is the sound of a hole being torn in a parachute. "FOY! FOY! FOY!" is the sound of a beaver tumbling through the air. "YUT" is the sound of that same beaver being attacked, a few minutes later, by tiny moles. The moles have been suctioning dirt from Beaver Island, as Mole Island is much too small for its population. They use a gigantic vacuum cleaner, and it suctions up trees and houses along with the dirt. When a tree vanishes, the sound effect is "GLURP!" The author is clearly having the time of his life inventing new sounds and drawing impossible machines. His technique can't always keep up with his imagination, though. The flat line drawings sometimes make the sequence of events difficult to follow, and moles and beavers have such tiny feet that they're hard to draw in action poses. But that's the appeal: The characters look like doodles, simple figures the readers could draw themselves. The story is so engaging that when they finish the book, readers may be ready to draw their own Flying Beaver Brothers adventure, complete with sound effects. (Graphic novel. 6-9)

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