Viminy Crowe's Comic Book

Starred review from June 1, 2014
A harmonious blend of narrative and intertwined graphic sequences finds two preteens at a comics convention closer to the action than they ever imagined. Wild-haired Addy Crowe, accompanied by her best friend, Catnip the rat, is helping her uncle, Viminy Crowe, at his booth at the International Comic Book Festival in Toronto. Viminy is the creator of Flynn Goster, the favorite comic of Wylder Wallace, a young attendee at the convention whose mother worries over him endlessly. A magical trip to a convention-hall bathroom sends the two young heroes (and Catnip) through a portal and into the pages of Viminy's comic. As in real life, their presence in his comic begins to change the course of events. Can the kids change it back before Viminy's publisher sees it-or before they get killed? The book's creators clearly had a grand time, filling it with fantastic steampunk creations such as mechanizmos, robot goons with human skin who transform into vulturelike robot birds, and VaporLinks, a robot-assisted form of telegram, and cleverly named characters like the villainous Aldous Lickpenny. This wholly imagined fantasy is well-fleshed-out and keeps the pages flying with its extremely clever story within a story. As it embraces so many different genres and formats-comics, steampunk, adventure-expect this to resonate with a wide readership. A thrilling and imaginative reminder that adventure and magic can be found anywhere, especially where one least expects it-and even if your mother texts you incessantly. (Fantasy/steampunk. 8-12)

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October 1, 2014

Gr 4-6-Wylder Wallace, an avid comic book fan, lives in Toronto under the constant surveillance-often via text message-of his overprotective mother. At a comic book convention, Wylder meets guarded but plucky Addy, whose uncle, Viminy Crowe, is the creator of the "Flynn Goster comics," and Wylder's personal hero. Wylder, Addy, and Addy's pet rat Catnip find themselves mysteriously thrust into the pages of Viminy's steampunk comic book universe where all manner of magic and technological wonders astound them. While the protagonist is thrilled at the prospect of rubbing elbows with the comic's gallant hero Flynn Goster, Addy is determined to find a way back to the real world. Every time the kids flip through the pages of the comic, however, they inadvertently begin to alter its story, leaving a wake of catastrophe in the imaginary and real world. The two must somehow outsmart villainous madman Aldous Lickpenny and escape a myriad of other dangers like crocodiles and deadly robots, while also saving Viminy's beloved series from utter disaster once they find the porthole back to present-day Toronto. The numerous black-and-white comic panels help bring the story to life for traditional and graphic novel fans, also bridging the two settings and the story-within-a-story narrative structure. Comic geeks or not, many are likely to enjoy this humorous and action-packed adventure.-Elly Schook, Jamieson Elementary School, Chicago

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