Review - Unstoppable

Unstoppable
by Adam Rex
illustrated by Laura Park
Date: 2020
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 56
Format: e-book
Source: library

If you could have any superpower, what would it be? Well, what if the answer was: ALL OF THEM! When a bird narrowly escapes the clutches of a hungry cat, a nearby crab admires the bird's ability to fly, while the bird admits a longtime yearning for claws. And, just like that, they team up. Pretty soon, the team includes every animal in the forest who's ever wanted someone else's special trait. But how will these animals stop humans from destroying the forest for a megamall? It's going to take claws, wings, and Congress together to be truly Unstoppable!.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

This wacky picture book starts out with the existential moanings of a crab. With some creative problem solving and some really odd portmanteaus, the animals join together to solve a crisis threatening their home.

I really recommend reading this one without looking at the synopsis first. I went into this not knowing what to expect, and I was almost laughing out loud at the crazy turns the story took. It's silly and amusing, but somehow still manages to teach a small civics lesson. Go figure.

Overall, this is a fun book with a nice message about how the power of working together makes you unstoppable.

Quotable moment:

Premise: 4/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 3/5
Illustrations: 4/5
Originality: 5/5

Enjoyment: 5/5

Overall: 4.33 out of 5

Review - On Account of the Gum

On Account of the Gum
by Adam Rex
Date: 2020
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 56
Format: e-book
Source: library

On Account of the Gum is a book about how the best intentions lead to some of the worst (and funniest) ideas!

Serious humor abounds in this story about one kid's hilarious misadventures with gum, and the cumulative buildup of stuff stuck in hair.

From the madcap mind of Adam Rex comes a book about the improbable, downright bizarre remedies for a problem kids have faced since the creation of gum.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

The poor kid!

This is one of the funniest picture books I've read in a while. When a kid gets gum in their hair, everyone has ideas on how to get it out. As the kid's hair becomes loaded with more and more "solutions", the reader can see their frustration growing until it explodes at last and brings about an unexpected resolution to the problem.

Sort of.

The illustrations are pretty much perfect. Don't let the pink on the cover turn you off, either; it's a reference to the gum and shouldn't be construed as making this a "girls' book".

Recommended to anyone who enjoys silly stories... or who's ever gotten gum stuck in their hair. You probably got off easy in comparison.

Quotable moment:

Premise: 5/5
Meter: 4/5
Writing: 4/5
Illustrations: 5/5
Originality: 4/5

Enjoyment: 5/5

Overall: 4.57 out of 5

Review - Why?

Why?
by Adam Rex
illustrated by Claire Keane
Date: 2019
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 60
Format: e-book
Source: library

A sweet and appealing tale for anyone familiar with the universal tendency of young children to always ask WHY? When supervillain Doctor X-Ray swoops in threatening to vanquish an innocent crowd, the only one brave enough not to run away is a little girl, who asks him simply, "Why?" He is taken aback—but he answers. She keeps asking. And he keeps answering—until a surprising truth is uncovered, and the villain is thwarted.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

Why? is sort of a therapy session between a would-be supervillain and a little girl, expressed in a comic-book format.

Doctor X-Ray swoops into the mall one day, threatening to take over the world. The only person who doesn't run is a little girl, who begins to question him with one simple word: Why? As the story comes out, we learn why the bad guy turned bad, and why he wants to accomplish his goal. There's actually a lot of story packed into this book, which is a quick read, despite its length.

The blurb recommends this book to kids between 3 and 5, but I think the actual message and humour would be lost on them. Older children (as well as parents) are more likely to understand what's going on, and depending on their age, will get why the repeated question is so amusing.

The illustrations by Claire Keane, though simple, work perfectly with the narrative. It's fun to see the duo of villain and child make their way through the mall, sharing snacks, sliding down bannisters, and even playing in the coin-operated ride-on toys.

Overall, this is a fun little picture book. Don't let its length put you off. The amusing ending is something you won't want to miss.

Quotable moment:

Premise: 4/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 3/5
Illustrations: 3/5
Originality: 4/5

Enjoyment: 4/5

Overall: 3.67 out of 5

Review - Nothing Rhymes with Orange

Nothing Rhymes with Orange
by Adam Rex
Date: 2017
Publisher: Chronicle Books LLC
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 48
Format: e-book
Source: library

We all know nothing rhymes with orange. But how does that make Orange feel? Well, left out! When a parade of fruit gets together to sing a song about how wonderful they are—and the song happens to rhyme—Orange can't help but feel like it's impossible for him to ever fit in. But when one particularly intuitive Apple notices how Orange is feeling, the entire English language begins to become a bit more inclusive. Beloved author-illustrator Adam Rex has created a hilarious yet poignant parable about feeling left out, celebrating difference, and the irrefutable fact that nothing rhymes with orange.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

There really is no word that rhymes with orange...

This is completely silly. At first glance, it seems overly simple. After all, it's just a bunch of photographs of fruit with faces drawn on. But the expressions are pretty funny, and as the book goes on, those characters really become characters. Then things get really strange when Nietzsche shows up. (No, I'm not kidding.)

All in all, this was ridiculous. But I'm still smiling about it, so I guess it wasn't that bad!

Premise: 4/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 3/5
Illustrations: 3/5
Originality: 3/5

Enjoyment: 4/5

Overall: 3.5 out of 5