Jack Goes West

November 15, 2019
That bad bunny Jack is back--and he's gone out West! Jack and the Lady arrive at the dude ranch for a three-day stay. Slim, the gold-toothed ranch hand, immediately takes a liking to the Lady. He calls her "ma'am" and kisses her hand, which makes Jack mad. That night, a bell sounds the alarm at the bank next to the ranch. The Lady goes to investigate only to find that Slim thwarted the theft but was unable to capture the bandit. A wanted poster reveals the bandit's long ears and scowling eyes. Could it really be Jack? Barnett and Pizzoli are in apple-pie order in this Western for emerging readers. The laugh-out-loud mystery unfolds over six chapters, breathing humor into genre tropes. With a vocabulary of around 150 words and multiple sentences per page, the text is a bit more complex than earlier series entries. The creators' successful subversion of moralistic primers will inevitably delight readers (though grown-ups may find the moral ambiguity unsettling). Jack at Bat, which publishes simultaneously, gives Jack a chance to settle the score between rival baseball teams--provided he can follow the rules of the game. The humans in Jack Goes West predominantly present white with the exception of the Law Lady, a woman of color, but those in Jack at Bat are diverse in skin tone. As with the other books in the series, each book ends with drawing instructions. Bank on fun with this one--it'll rope readers in. (Early reader. 5-8)

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December 1, 2019

Gr 1-3-This series title will be a surefire hit with readers who love Mo Willems's "Elephant & Piggie" books. Similar to that series, this one is a step above beginning readers in terms of its vocabulary, is wildly funny, and is completely kid-friendly. Jack is a zany rabbit who, along with the cranky old lady who debuted in the first book, decides to head out west to a dude ranch. Once there, they make the acquaintance of Slim, a ranch hand. Slim kisses the lady's hand and offers to carry her things. Jack thinks this is more than a bit suspicious. In the middle of the night, an alarm sounds at the bank. It's been robbed and Slim stopped the burglary. But the perpetrator was too fast and got away. Slim takes all the credit for saving the day and he provides a description of the robber. Could it be Jack? The plot is wonderfully wacky and the illustrations help children navigate the story while providing opportunities to use both the text and the art to make inferences. An addendum shows readers how to draw Slim in a few easy steps, which kids will love. VERDICT This book has everything that kids love and will help make them stronger readers. You can't beat that.-Joan Kindig, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA

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