Ready for something original? Well, today's read should fulfill that desire...if you are. This is the 5th book in a series, and I haven't read any of the other books in this series yet (as always). I'll admit that this one caught my eye simply because it made me look twice and think 'huh?'. Since the series has gone on this long, I assume there's more than just weirdness behind it...and even then, sometimes weirdness is exactly what's needed.
Anyway, I don't know what surprises this book will hold, so let's just take a look.
SPIDERMANIA
Laser Moose and Rabbit Boy Vol. 5
by Doug Savage
Middle Grade Fantasy / Graphic Novel
144 pages
ages 7 to 11
COMING...
APRIL 15th!!!
Laser Moose and Rabbit Boy are back for a cliff-hanger adventure when a spider begins taking control of all of the forest animals in the fifth book from the outrageous, hilarious, beloved series.
It’s a new day in the forest, and the creatures there are beginning to act strange. They’re getting glowing purple eyes, sneezing out web, and seem set on biting other animals and spreading it to everyone in the woods! When their nemesis Cyborgupine is bit, Laser Moose and Rabbit Boy set out to solve the mystery and find a way to save the forest once again—before their own brainwashed friends can stop them!
This is the next adventure in the Laser Moose and Rabbit Boy graphic novel series, and it’s perfect for children ages 8-12.
It’s a new day in the forest, and the creatures there are beginning to act strange. They’re getting glowing purple eyes, sneezing out web, and seem set on biting other animals and spreading it to everyone in the woods! When their nemesis Cyborgupine is bit, Laser Moose and Rabbit Boy set out to solve the mystery and find a way to save the forest once again—before their own brainwashed friends can stop them!
This is the next adventure in the Laser Moose and Rabbit Boy graphic novel series, and it’s perfect for children ages 8-12.
MY TIDBITS
These are not your usual characters, but they pack tons of inspiring friendship and are easy to root for until the end.
Everything is normal in the forest, and the deer is healing after its injuries from the earlier book (?), but then, Cyborgupine appears, and it's not acting like it's usual self. Not only is it sneezing spider webs, but it keeps repeating an odd phrase about spiders. Then, the animals see it—a spider bite. Before they can analyze the disease or problem, Cyborgupine bites one of the friends...and they start sneezing webs and repeating the same phrase. Soon, the disease is spreading, and it's clear that the spiders are controlling everything. Laser Moose and Rabbit Boy are determined to save the day but may not be able to escape the danger.
I did not read the other books in the series before this, but it wasn't too difficult to sink into the tale and characters. I would recommend starting at the beginning, however, since there are aspects of this tale which build on each other. That said, this is a quirky adventure all the way through. The characters hold original twists, which edge in the direction of science and experiments, but then, the entire problem arises from the same type of direction. Yep, this gives it an odd, STEM lean, which offers some science inspiration along the way. It weaves in here and there, and if nothing else, lets readers realize how door-opening science can be. In a quirky way, of course.
The plot is pretty straight forward as Laser Moose and Rabbit Boy try their best to get to the root of the problem and save the forest. Tension and action roll from every page right along with a slight humor to keep things fun. These work well with the illustrations, which appear simple but still bring across the emotions and scenes nicely. The text fluctuates from very easy and short to a solid middle grade read. Let's just say that one of the characters really heads into explanations every now and then to up the text amount and vocabulary skills. Otherwise, it's an easy read.
There's a lovely sense of friendship and working to solve problems. The end seems harsh, at first, but slides its way into an end fitting for the age group.
It's a fun read with heart and goodness underneath adventure, action, and unique characters to root for.
And here he is...
Doug Savage is the creator of the popular comic Savage Chickens, which he has been drawing and posting online every weekday since 2005. Born in rural Ontario and raised by a pack of wild piano teachers, Doug lives in Vancouver with his partner, Janet, and their two cats, Watson and Crumble.
2 comments:
I have the first two, and they circulate well enough with students who only read graphic novels, but nine years after I read the first one, all I can remember is the scene with the deer accidentally having its leg lasered off! https://msyinglingreads.blogspot.com/2016/10/cartoon-saturday-and-friendship.html
That is a dramatic scene, I bet! Sounds terrible. But that explains why the deer's legs were back on in this one.
Post a Comment