The Daily Comet: Boy Saves Earth from Giant Octopus

Asch, Frank. The Daily Comet: Boy Saves Earth from Giant Octopus! Kids Can Press. ISBN: 978-1-55453-281-0

Hayward’s dad works for The Daily Comet, a newspaper that only seems to publish ridiculous, positively-untrue stories about monsters and historical figures. Hayward knows that the stories cannot be true, which is why he believes the odd encounters his father and he have during Take Your Son to Work Day must be exaggerated or staged. Or are they? Told in a style befitting any tabloid, Frank and Devin Asch capture Hayward’s disdain so well in both the text and illustrations that the reader believes Hayward’s assumptions have to be right. I had so much fun anticipating what outrageous event would be waiting each time I turned the page. From Elvis to a giant octopus, this one is fun to read and believe.

Kellie Tilton, BGSU librarian

Shrek

Steig, William. Shrek! Farrar Straus Giroux. ISBN: 978-0-374-36879-1

Most of us are, by now, familiar with the movie Shrek and its multiple sequels. Many may not be aware that the popular animated movies came from a book of the same name by William Steig. There are, as in any book-to-film translation, some similarities and some differences. The book’s Shrek doesn’t have the emotional side that the movie’s titular character does. Steig’s Shrek does still have the bad manners, ogre appearance and general disdain for everyone that makes anyone from 0 to 99 giggle as he storms the castle looking for his princess. With Donkey’s role much more reduced, I’m not sure how those who have seen the movie first will react to the original material, but the gruesome drawings and Shrek himself should win some over, I would hope.

Kellie Tilton, BGSU librarian

Animal Crackers Fly the Coop

O’Malley, Kevin. Animal Crackers Fly the Coop. Walker & Company. 2010. ISBN: 978-0-8027-9837-4

Animal Crackers Fly the Coop is perfect for joke-lovers. Packed full with wise-cracks and play-on-words, we follow four wannabe-comedian animals looking to make it big when things go bad on the farm. The illustrations are good, although the highlight is the thought bubble jokes that accompany the illustrations – jokes that are bound to keep anyone giggling for days. The story is a cute one and, as I mentioned above, has wry jokes hidden within the text, which makes it great for older kids. This means, though, that some of the punch lines will go above the heads of younger readers. Overall, a book filled with laughs and giggles.

K. Tilton, BGSU librarian