Frankie Pickle and the Closet of Doom

May 18, 2009
Blurring the lines between graphic novel and chapter book, Wight’s (My Dead Girlfriend
) children’s book debut introduces a protagonist as singular as his name. Frankie Pickle (short for Franklin Piccolini) fuels his everyday life with fantasy. When sent to clean his room, he imagines himself a convict: “Been here so long I forget what the sun looks like,’’ he says, scrawling a sixth hatch mark on the prison wall underneath “minutes here.” When Frankie’s mother declares that he doesn’t have to clean his room anymore, at first “Frankie was living on cloud swine.” But when even his dog won’t go in his room and his sister declares he has the “natural aroma” of “ripe garbage,” Frankie—as an intrepid adventurer—makes his room “so clean it made soap look dirty.” Wight’s b&w comic illustrations brim with action and wit––a moldy sandwich turns into an eight-eyed monster and Frankie makes joyful snow angels in clutter––but Frankie’s tone—funny without being smart alecky—is Wight’s finest achievement. Full of rib-tickling irony, this is a strong start for the series. Ages 7–10.