Hi, Jack!

Starred review from December 18, 2017
In this promising series opener, Barnett and Pizzoli introduce a mischievous monkey named Jack, a dog named Rex, and a lady named the Lady. In the first of three stories, Jack steals the Lady’s purse and goes wild with her lipstick. “Rex! Why are your lips red? Your lips are bright red!” writes Barnett in the second, poking fun at repetitive early-reader language. Barnett works wonders with a limited vocabulary, packing the stories with humor, tension—and admonishments of Jack. Given Jack’s lipstick-powered vandalism, readers will guess that the Lady’s house won’t stay “nice” for long (“Here are her white walls. Here is her nice art”). Pizzoli’s scruffy-edged, emotive cartoons are just as funny, and he carries the comedy into drawing lessons and closing endpapers. Yep, more lipstick is involved. Available simultaneously: Jack at Bat. Ages 4–8. Agent: Steven Malk, Writers House.