Belly Up

August 23, 2010
For the first 10 years of his life, 12-year-old Teddy's home was the Congo, where he lived with his parents, a gorilla researcher and a wildlife photographer. When civil war broke out, however, the family moved back to America; his parents now work at FunJungle, the world's largest zoo. When ornery zoo mascot Henry the Hippo dies, Teddy learns that he was murdered (after spying on the autopsy). No one believes him except Summer, the daughter of the Texas millionaire who owns FunJungle, and they work together to find the killer, even as someone is trying to silence Teddy himself. Animal facts are plentiful in Gibbs's debut novel, at times slowing the pace, but always offering interesting tidbits—sometimes of a scatological nature (for example, hippos habitually fire "streams of feces" at each other and occasionally people). A projectile pile of Henry's innards, a wild chase scene, and a new zoo addition bring this whodunit to a romping, if slightly gruesome, conclusion. A likable protagonist, a very kid-friendly brand of humor, and the outrageous setting should keep readers' interest, especially animal lovers. Ages 8–12.

May 1, 2010
Gr 5-8-Teddy Fitzroy, 12, yearns for a little excitement at FunJungle, an animal theme park in Texas where his parents work. When star attraction Henry the Hippo dies under mysterious circumstances, Teddy is convinced that it was murder. Colorful suspects abound, from Large Marge, the security guard, all the way up to J.J. McCracken himself, billionaire owner of FunJungle. Teddy teams up with J.J.'s daughter to ferret out the culprit even as animal-related accidents begin to threaten his safety. A decomposing hippo disaster denouement will fill young minds with equal amounts of horror and glee. Dense with animal trivia, "Belly Up" will suit attentive readers who love mystery and random facts. Teddy's first-person narration allows readers to solve the mystery along with him, but his voice is oddly adult. The content and expression of his thoughts emerge as extraordinarily calm and rational, far from the typical preteen sensibility. His dialogue sounds much more realistic. Gibbs handles issues of animal welfare in a fair way without being preachy, and his motley cast of characters holds its own with quirky personalities and memorable details. Overall, this first novel brings together suspense, wild chase scenes, and enough character development to hold children's attention, despite a few incongruities. Hand it to fans of Gordon Korman's "Swindle" (Scholastic) and Jody Feldman's "The Gollywhopper Games"(HarperCollins, both 2008)."Caitlin Augusta, Stratford Library Association, CT"

Copyright 2010 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 1, 2010
Grades 5-7 Henry the hippo is dead. Yes, the signature denizen of Americas newest and largest zoo has been found belly up in his highly, uh, unsanitary habitat (hippos are extraordinarily regular in their habits, so to speak). But theres worse to come when 12-year-old Teddy begins to suspect its murder most foul andin the fine tradition of mysteries for youthsets out to solve the crime by himself. Well, he does have some help from beautiful Summer, the 13-year-old daughter of the zoos fantastically wealthy owner. Who could have dunnit? Large Marge, the surly security guard who has a cold spot in her heart for Teddy? Charlie Connor, the midget clown whos hated Henry ever since the testy hippo took a bite out of him? Or could it be a guerrilla act perpetrated by the anti-zoo Animal Liberation Front? First-novelist Gibbs offers no shortage of suspects in his fast-paced story, which deftly mixes humor and suspense. Cleverly plottedaside from one hippo-sized deus ex machina momentthis book is an auspicious debut that will leave readers clamoring for more.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)