Today's review.... (there is a lot going on here today)... is a book to make one smile. I don't believe it really has any other purpose, and that is exactly what everybody needs, sometimes.
So, off we go!
SQUIRREL DO BAD
Trubble Town, Book One
by Stephan Pastis
Aladdin
Children's Humor
288 pages
ages 8 to 12
From the author of the “Pearls Before Swine” comic strip and New York Times bestselling Timmy Failure series comes a laugh-out-loud, heartwarming, full-color graphic novel series about a quirky town—just right for young readers starting to read longer books!
Wendy the Wanderer has lived in Trubble Town her whole life but never had the chance to go exploring. For this reason, she thinks she was definitely misnamed. Her dad likes to know where she is to make sure she’s safe, so she’s never been anywhere on her own. Then, her dad leaves on a trip and the babysitter doesn’t reinforce all the usual rules. Or any of the usual rules! Suddenly, Wendy is free to do what she wants, and what she wants is to live up to her name…and find Trubble.
Turns out, there’s lots going on in Trubble Town. As she encounters endearingly goofy animals and hilariously hapless townsfolk, Wendy’s very first adventure takes more twists and turns than she could have ever expected. She learns some really valuable life lessons and even teaches a few of her own.
Wendy the Wanderer has lived in Trubble Town her whole life but never had the chance to go exploring. For this reason, she thinks she was definitely misnamed. Her dad likes to know where she is to make sure she’s safe, so she’s never been anywhere on her own. Then, her dad leaves on a trip and the babysitter doesn’t reinforce all the usual rules. Or any of the usual rules! Suddenly, Wendy is free to do what she wants, and what she wants is to live up to her name…and find Trubble.
Turns out, there’s lots going on in Trubble Town. As she encounters endearingly goofy animals and hilariously hapless townsfolk, Wendy’s very first adventure takes more twists and turns than she could have ever expected. She learns some really valuable life lessons and even teaches a few of her own.
GOODREADS / B&N / BOOK DEPOSITORY / AMAZON / KOBO
MY TIDBITS
I have five words for this one: zany, looney, and simply fun. I'd leave my review at that, but I need to be a bit more wordy...so, here we go.
Wendy has a wandering spirit, which gives her the nickname Wendy the Wanderer. Except she doesn't wander because her father is a very worried individual (since her mom is no longer there). When he leaves for a business trip, the babysitter should be watching her every move, but the girl doesn't. Wendy takes the opportunity to fulfill her purpose and wanders to Trubble. At the town's park, she meets a squirrel and gives him something non-peanuty to enjoy. But little does she know how much trouble this squirrel is about to cause.
This book has one purpose: to be fun and ridiculous. And it pulls this off masterfully. The graphic novel form is a treat to read with it's simple, bright and still on-spot illustrations. Wendy is adorable in every way, and I can only hope we see more of her in the future. The tale is hilarious and slides through the most crazy situations, making it one to cause more than a few laughs and giggles. Seriousness is definitely not something found in these pages. And that's good so because, sometimes, we just need a laugh.
The writing is appropriate for the younger end of the middle grade age group all the way to the older end. The scenes pull in and entertain, making this a book even more reluctant readers are sure to enjoy.
So, yes, I am recommending this one with a huge smile.
And here he is...
Stephan Pastis is the creator of the syndicated comic strip Pearls Before Swine, which appears in over 800 newspapers. He is also the creator of the Timmy Failure book series and the cowriter of the Disney+ movie Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made. He lives in Northern California with his wife and two kids.
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