Dalen and Gole

November 7, 2011
Meet Dalen and Gole, two lovable and naïve aliens who stumble into an interplanetary conspiracy in this engaging graphic novel. After losing a jet race to rich-kid Tunax, Gole is suspicious that Tunax cheated, despite Dalen’s protests to the contrary. Gole’s snooping leads the pair to Earth, where a mysterious fish shortage is devastating the fishing town of Port Angus. With the help of plucky Earth girl Rachel, the friends evade dangerous men in black and help unravel the threat to both Earth and their home planet. The full-color art keeps the pace moving at cartoon speed, and the story is a fun, if simple, romp into interstellar business and politics. Although Deas’s emphasis is on a fast-paced story, he slips in plenty of characterization. Even if Dalen and Gole never come in first in a jet race, their adventure is a winner. Ages 8–11. (Oct.)■

September 15, 2011

A crisp, clear comic romp about two alien friends who uncover a gently sinister scheme that could destroy both their home planet and a small fishing town on Earth.

Stylistically reminiscent of Jar Jar Binks (though highly likable instead of annoying), Dalen and Gole are two extraterrestrial best friends who live for jet racing on their home planet Budap. When they lose a race to the obviously shifty Tunax (who wins a race with the assistance of a mysterious cloud of purple smoke), Dalen—the less cynical of the duo as well as the better loser—offers him both congratulations and an assist in putting his jet racer away. While doing so, Dalen and Gole accidentally discover a tunnel that transports the pair to Earth's Port Angus, a small fishing village on the brink of ruin, as all of the fish have been disappearing. Upon further investigation, they learn that both the mysterious purple smoke and the missing fish share a "fishy" connection, and the twin fates of Budap and Port Angus lie in their hands. Deas' art has a clarion brightness and is tidily paneled across the page. Driven mainly by cartoon action, the character development is lacking, and a truly likable character—Rachel, the Earth-girl who befriends Dalen and Gole—is left somewhat shapeless and one-dimensional.

Squeaky-clean, good fun, even if a little underdeveloped. (Graphic science fiction. 8-11)

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

January 1, 2012

Gr 3-5-In this wan adventure, the two eponymous aliens are surprised when they lose a jet-racing competition under suspicious circumstances. While investigating the garage where the winner stores his vehicle, they discover a passageway that deposits them on Earth in a decaying coastal village whose population of fish has suddenly disappeared. The atmospheric artwork convincingly depicts the gray skies, snow-capped mountains, and spiky evergreens of the Pacific Northwest. In the blighted town of Port Angus, Dalen and Gole find themselves pursued by wide-shouldered, suit-wearing goons. They form an alliance with a girl who teaches them English and promises to help them get back to their own planet. The trio's search for a portal to Budap culminates in a predictable denouement that reveals the whereabouts of the missing fish and how their disappearance connects to the results of the race. Deas seems to be trying to incorporate a critique of corporate monopolies while calling for environmental protection, but his message is too muddy to resonate with readers. Instead, they are left with one-dimensional characters and a plot that, while well paced, lacks suspense. The artwork is stronger than the story; it has a muted, evocative palette, expressive character work, and energetic chase sequences. Deas makes effective use of sound effects and asymmetrical panel boundaries to enhance the most dramatic moments. Devotees of alien adventures may pick this one up, but it is unlikely to appeal to most young graphic-novel fans.-Kate Hewitt, Far Brook School, Short Hills, NJ

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 15, 2011
Grades 3-6 Worlds collide when young Budapian aliens Dalen and Gole try to figure out how their frenemy, Tunax, could have won the junior jet-racer competition at the very last minute. What is the suspicious purple exhaust coming from the tailpipe of Tunax's racer? What are the slimy silver things in Tunax's garage? Little do they know just how far their investigation will take themall the way to planet Earth! Deas, illustrator of the six-volume Graphic Guide Adventure series, makes his debut as an author and illustrator here and provides solid graphics, pacing, dialogue, and humor in this introduction to the unfamiliar world of Budap and the two antenna-eyeballed stars. The rundown of the Budapian alphabet at the end is a particularly nice touch, and it allows readers to spin back through and translate the many signs sprinkled throughout the book. A fun mystery-adventure that's just right for young space cases.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)