Let's Do a Thing!

April 1, 2017
Victor Shmud, a white child with a toy duck--or is that a chicken, as Victor seem to think?--embarks on an irreverent and ever so strange space adventure.Victor doesn't listen well in school, but he has a rich imagination and a clever friend, Patti (illustrated with a dark complexion). After a few minor misadventures, such as making a mustard-based beauty solution that he dumps, to ill effect, on the janitor's head, Victor becomes involved in a space-battle game on Patti's phone that the duck, Dumpylumps, somehow manages to win with his "butt" (a word that's repeated fairly often). Real extraterrestrials beam up Victor and Dumpylumps to destroy their enemies, the Frappletonians, in an epic space battle--with help from Patti and to the consternation of their ugly but kind teacher, Mrs. Nozzleburp, whom Victor calls, "you great big beautiful doll." Illustrations that are just as silly as the text abound, making this a very quick read, with only several sentences to a page. Combining goofy names, a preposterous but fast-paced plot, and an almost-a-superhero theme, this effort will be an easy sell, especially for those who may go on to enjoy the Captain Underpants series. Benton's wacky, off-the-wall humor may not appeal to more staid readers, but for the right audience, this will be an enticing offering. (Fantasy. 7-10)

COPYRIGHT(2017) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

May 1, 2017

Gr 1-4-Fans of Benton (author of the "Franny K. Stein" and "Dear Dumb Diary" series) will be thrilled with this latest series starter. Victor Shmud is a young boy on a mission to find his true calling in life. He has tried many different fields thus far: Knuckle Doctor, Ghost Bear Hunter, and The Guy Who Puts the Sugar in Those Little Envelopes. However, he hasn't found the career that suits him best...until now. With the help of his trusted sidekick, Dumpylumps, a chickenlike duck, Victor has decided to become a Makeover Expert. Between makeovers at school, Victor and his friend Patti start playing an intergalactic space game on her phone, and, of course, since Victor is an expert at practically everything, an alien spaceship probing the galaxy homes in on Victor's excellent space war skills. Victor and Dumpylumps wind up in the middle of an intergalactic battle with the fate of the galaxy in their hands. Benton's trademark wit and kid-friendly humor are on full display. There are boisterous cartoons illustrating most pages, which support comprehension for younger readers transitioning to chapter books. VERDICT A must-buy for libraries where "Franny K. Stein" and other over-the-top, funny chapter book fare are popular.-Brittney Kosev, Honey/Rush Elementary, Lubbock, TX

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 15, 2017
Grades 2-4 Boundless self-confidence gets a lad into outer space and back again in this kickoff episode from the creator of the Franny K. Stein series. Truly a legend in his own mind, Victor flirts with his teacher Mrs. Nozzleburp, concocts a beauty formula from kitchen ingredients that forcibly curls hair (and, as it turns out, tentacles), and borrows his friend Patti's video game after (incorrectly) proclaiming he's an expert in Interspace Battle Strategy. Unfortunately, alien Grooglings overhear this last part and kidnap him to lead a fight against long-time foes the Frappletonians. Fortunately, with help from Patti, his formula, and the unusually talented butt of his duck sidekick, Dumpylumps, Victor not only brokers peace between the warring aliens but, with a picture of Mrs. Nozzleburp ( She's gorgeous, his captor rhapsodizes. From her woolly head to her majestically flapping elbow meat ), persuades the Grooglings to beg for makeovers. Cartoon illustrations (several featuring figures in provocative poses) add further notes of hilarity to this zany outing for the Captain Underpants crowd.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)