The Biggest, Bestest Time Ever!

March 7, 2011
Malcolm (better known as "Mal") is an elementary school supergenius who has taught his dog, Chad, to talk and regularly makes inventions that grownup scientists wish they could create. However, no one seems aware of Mal's abilities (or the fact the dog can speak), so he keeps his time machine and mini-mega-morpher a secret between himself and his loyal canine friend. The charm and humor come from Mal's adventurous streak: when the teacher assigns her students an essay on what they want to be when they grow up, Mal takes it very literally, as he shrinks himself and swims in the dishwater to see if he might want to be a scuba diver. From there he considers becoming an archeologist and goes back in time millions of years thanks to his time-travel machine, adventuring with dinosaurs. McCranie's art is loose, but his characters are expressive and fun. The amusing situations and snappy back and forth between Mal and Chad—"I am not a crypuppy!"—make this a winner. Ages 9–12.

April 1, 2011
Shy, geeky preteen Malcolm's efforts to hide his super-intelligence repeatedly fall afoul of mishaps involving a series of spectacular inventions in this web comic crossover. With one such device Mal teaches his dog Chad to talk, and his "Yum Sauce" makes even dog food delicious. Unfortunately, those are about the only times anything goes right, as his jet-powered backpack blasts a hole in the roof, his (single) mom comes home unexpectedly while he and Chad have shrunk themselves to the size of ants with a "Mini-Mega-Morpher" and a time machine made from a junked elevator nearly strands both the adventurous pair and crushworthy classmate Megan back in dinosaur times. Meanwhile, he's demolished in gym class by Megan's famous "Flaming Dodge Bomb." In mulling over a "What do you want to be when you grow up?" assignment, he ultimately concludes that what he wants to "be" is different from what he'll want to "do," and it's too soon to tell about either. Like the art in the original pen-and-ink editions of Jeff Smith's Bone comics (1995-2004), McCranie's heavy lined cartoon panels feature expressively drawn figures and easy-to-follow sequencing but look unfinished sans coloring. Still, boy and equally irrepressible dog make an engaging pair, and, along with witty writing, there's plenty of action both physical and emotional. Sequels will not be amiss. (Graphic fiction. 10-12)

(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

July 1, 2011

Gr 3-6-Fans of Calvin and Hobbes will gravitate to this graphic-novel chapter book featuring an inventive kid and his talking dog. Mal has typical social trouble at school, hiding his intelligence and struggling to make his feelings known to a cute girl while trying to avoid the class blowhard. His single mom doesn't seem to be very supportive, sending him to bed without supper, threatening to ground him, and spanking him in the first three chapters, but these travails set him up as an underdog who will prevail in the end. Mal's great ideas are augmented by his miraculous inventions (shrink ray, jet pack, time machine), which take him and his dog, Chad, on exciting adventures to exotic locales, all in service to the overall story line. The great buddy relationship and some sweet moments (look for the pals dancing to the elevator music in the time machine) keep readers emotionally connected.-Paula Willey, Baltimore County Public Library, Towson, MD

Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from May 15, 2011
Grades 2-5 *Starred Review* It is possible that the world will someday tire of stories featuring an intrepid boy and his companionable dog going on adventures that skim breezily through fantasy standards even as they plumb the depths of childhood hopes and fears. However, it will not be with this top-notch graphic novel. Mal is not your run-of-the-mill child adventurer but a scientific genius who can shrink himself and his talking dog to explore the bottom of a filled-up sink or send them back to prehistory in a time-traveling elevator. McCranie captures both the big-eyed, round-headed cartoon adorableness of his characters and the realistic (though age-appropriate) menace of the dinosaurs with equal aplomb. What sets this apart from, say, the similar Franklin Richards: Son of a Genius comics is that its rollicking sense of fun is set against childhoods deep sense of longing: to be recognized, but not to stand out too much; to be respected, but to stay a child; to have the girl you like give you the time of day. As he frames Mals quest to write an essay about what he wants to be when he grows up, McCranie balances these disparate elements for an unusually satisfying read.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)