Showing posts with label First Second Reviews. Show all posts
Showing posts with label First Second Reviews. Show all posts

Friday, February 6, 2026

Book Review: The Creepy Case Files of Margo Maloo: The Monster Mall


Book: The Creepy Case Files of Margo Maloo volume #2: The Monster Mall by Drew Weing

Cover Art by Drew Weing
Cover Design by Drew Weing and Andrew Arnold

Edition: Paperback

Description:

In this second volume of The Creepy Case Files of Margo Maloo, graphic novelist Drew Weing delivers a fresh and funny take on the age-old battle between kids and closet-dwelling monsters.

Charles meets a lot of monsters in his line of work. While assisting Margo Maloo on her assignments, he’s had close encounters with trolls, ghosts, imps, and ogres. And lately, they’re all saying the same thing: living in Echo City is getting harder.

As the human population of the city grows, monsters are being forced to abandon their homes. Teenagers are creeping into their territory, smartphones in hand, eager to photograph paranormal activity. Some monsters are tired of hiding and ready to fight. How can Margo and Charles keep Echo City’s monster community a secret, when it’s teetering in the brink of war?

Monday, March 20, 2017

Book Review: Star Scouts


Book: Star Scouts written and illustrated by Mike Lawrence

Source: Borrowed from Publisher/NetGalley for an honest review

Publication: March 21, 2017

Description:

Avani is the new kid in town, and she’s not happy about it. Everyone in school thinks she’s weird, especially the girls in her Flower Scouts troop. Is it so weird to think scouting should be about fun and adventure, not about makeovers and boys, boys, boys?

But everything changes when Avani is “accidentally” abducted by a spunky alien named Mabel. Mabel is a scout too―a Star Scout. Collecting alien specimens (like Avani) goes with the territory, along with teleportation and jetpack racing. Avani might be weird, but in the Star Scouts she fits right in. If she can just survive Camp Andromeda, and keep her dad from discovering that she’s left planet Earth, she’s in for the adventure of a lifetime.

Thursday, March 16, 2017

Book Review: Animal Crackers: Circus Mayhem


Book: Animal Crackers: Circus Mayhem by Scott Christian Sava with illustrations by Mike Holmes

Source: Borrowed from Publisher/NetGalley for an honest review

Publication: March 21, 2017

Description:

How does Uncle Bob do it? Owen couldn't figure it out.

Buffalo Bob's Rootin' Tootin' Animal Circus is famous for its jump-roping giraffe, tangoing lion, and knife-throwing elephant. But they have to be fakes, right? Owen is determined to get to the bottom of this mystery. When he visits the circus he discovers that his uncle and, coincidentally, all of the animals, are missing. It can only be the work of Buffalo Bob’s sideshow rival: Contorto.

Owen stumbles upon the one thing that can save the day: Buffalo Bob’s box of animal crackers. But these aren’t any ordinary cookies: one bite and you’re transformed into a circus animal! The audience is wowed by Owen’s animal antics, but it will take more than a few carnival tricks to defeat Contorto and his pack of goons.



Rating: 4 stars

Review:

Animal Crackers: Circus Mayhem is a crazy fun adventures as it follows a disappointed young boy named Owen who will be staying at his Uncle Bob's circus the Buffalo Bob's Rootin' Tootin' Animal Circus.

From the moment Owen's parents dropped him off at the circus it was nonstop action and adventure once Chesterfield the clown showed up to take him to his uncle. However, there seemed to be a problem because none of the circus employees could find Bob including his wife Talia. And with customers angry that the show has yet to start they needed to find Bob as soon as possible.

Owen also noticed something else that was missing, the animals at the circus. But that had him thinking that maybe there were no animals to begin with. Turns out there is an interesting twists in regards to the animals but as for Uncle Bob he was kidnapped by his evil rival Contorto. Assisting the villain is his sideshow crew El Gato Grande and Crooga, they were hired to capture Bob (which they did) and the animals and so far they were having a difficult time finding them.

Owen uncovered the secret of the animals when he found a box of animal crackers in his uncle's office. After eating one of the cookies, he was surprised to find he had turned into an animal. But this new discovery was just what he needs to help the others stop Contorto and his villainous group and find his uncle.

I think kids would love this book, it's fun and fast paced with an interesting story. It's a wacky story but ultimately you have this loveable group of circus employees who band together to not only save Bob but their circus as well. And Owen who thought he would have a boring time at the circus wound up experiencing something unbelievable including being able to turn into animals. This was a fun read.

Thursday, September 22, 2016

Book Review: The Creepy Case Files of Margo Maloo


Book: The Creepy Case Files of Margo Maloo by Drew Weing

Source: Borrowed from Publisher/NetGalley for an honest review

Publication: Available now

Description:

Charles just moved to Echo City, and some of his new neighbors give him the creeps. They sneak into his room, steal his toys, and occasionally, they try to eat him.

The place is teeming with monsters!

Lucky for Charles, Echo City has Margo Maloo, monster mediator. No matter who’s causing trouble, Margo knows exactly what to do―the neighborhood kids say monsters are afraid of her. It's a good thing, because Echo City's trolls, ogres, and ghosts all have one thing in common: they don't like Charles very much.


Monday, April 6, 2015

Book Review: Sleepless Knight


Book: Sleepless Knight by James Sturm, Andrew Arnold and Alexis Frederick-Frost

Source: Borrowed from Publisher/NetGalley for an honest review

Publication: April 7, 2015

Publisher: First Second Books

Description:

The Knight can't wait for her first camping trip! She and her horse Edward pack everything they need -- including her beloved Teddy - and head out into the woods. But when it's time for bed, Teddy is nowhere to be found!  A helpful racoon thinks this "Teddy" sounds familiar, and sends the Knight off to a cave... but that's no teddy bear in that cave. That's a bear!  In this sweet, simple adventure, basic comics elements combine with the picture book format to create a picture book for the youngest of comics readers, and a fantastic introduction into the world of Adventures in Cartooning.


Rating: 4 stars

Review:

Sleepless Knight is a very cute and funny story about a Knight who decides to go camping. She over packs and her poor little horse Edward has a huge bag to carry which also includes the Knight's stuffed bear Teddy.

After they unpacked and set up camp, the Knight is off to bed but she can't get to sleep because she can't find Teddy. In her attempts to find her bear, she ended up accidentally waking up a rabbit who after explaining what she was looking for directed her to a cave. She walked into the cave and found something but it wasn't her Teddy it was a real bear. Quickly escaping she went back to the camp site to try to get Edward to wake up. And to her surprise she found Teddy and went off to bed.

But now Edward, the rabbit and the bear were awake and couldn't go back to sleep so they decide to have a little party and enjoy the night while the Knight slept the night away.

The story is perfect for children because it's funny and easy to follow and I love the bright colors and fun illustrations. Although this story is for children I think it's a good read for anyone.

Tuesday, March 3, 2015

Book Review: The Glorkian Warrior Eats Adventure Pie


Book: The Glorkian Warrior Eats Adventure Pie by James Kochalka

Source: Borrowed from Publisher/NetGalley for an honest review

Publication: March 17, 2015

Description:

Oh, Glorkian Warrior. You were doing so well! You almost had that rampaging space snake under control -- when Buster Glark, your villainous rival in the Glorkian Corps, showed up to make fun of you! He laughed so hard at your misfortune that he gave himself the hiccups. And that was just on the first page of this book.

Things are only going to get worse from here, Glorkian Warrior. But we promise there will be plenty of pie at the end.




Rating: 1 star

Review:

I really hate to write this but unfortunately I didn't think this was very good. It's hard to believe how bad this was especially since the first book, The Glorkian Warrior Delivers a Pizza was so funny and really good.

Where the first book had a good story this one seemed to focus on absolutely nothing at all. It was just over the top ridiculous stuff that wasn't funny. Most of the time The Glorkian Warrior was spending most of the time talking to his elbow and talking about pie with Gonk or letting the baby alien sit on his head sucking out his brain making him even more of an idiot.

He is also dealing with a bully, Buster Glark another Glorkian Warrior who is making patrol difficult.

The Super Backpack is best thing about this because he was the only character that seemed to know what was going on.

I wish this had been a better read, instead of being disappointing.

Monday, April 7, 2014

Book Review: The Glorkian Warrior Delivers a Pizza


Book: The Glorkian Warrior Delivers a Pizza by James Kochalka

Source: Borrowed from Publisher/NetGalley for an honest review

Publication: Available now

Description:

The Glorkian Warrior isn't the brightest bulb in the box, so it's good he's got his trusty talking backpack to advise him as they set out on a perilous journey to deliver a pizza. The pizza's got clams and peanut butter on it, so it's not clear who's going to want it, but deliver it they will. With bright, lively illustrations and classic pratfalls, this graphic novel for kids is 112 pages of super icky gross-out humor and ludicrously bad decisions— in other words, The Glorkian Warrior Delivers a Pizza is a winner.


Rating: 5 stars

Review:

Reading this turned out to be the perfect lunch time read. This was so funny! If this had me laughing so much, I'm pretty sure kids (who this is geared to) will find this funny as well.

The story follows as The Glorkian Warrior and his talking backpack set out to deliver a pizza after receiving an emergency call from someone ordering a pizza. The backpack as it turns out is so much smarter than The Glorkian Warrior suggested that the call was a wrong number but that didn't stop Glorkian from wanting to deliver a pizza even if it was some old pizza he found in his frig.

This adventure turned out to be plague with disasters from the minute they started from crashing the supercar to fighting off aliens trying to get the pizza.

The Glorkian Warrior Delivers a Pizza was absolutely hilarious and it's a perfect read for kids and adults. And I love the zany artwork, it truly goes with the story.

Monday, December 9, 2013

Book Review: Aphrodite: Goddess of Love

Book: Aphrodite: Goddess of Love (Olympians book #6) written and illustrated by George O'Connor

Source: Borrowed from Publisher/NetGalley for an honest review

Publication: December 31, 2013

Description:

In volume six of Olympians, graphic novel author/artist George O'Connor turns the spotlight on Aphrodite, the goddess of love. Look for the same thoroughly researched and wonderfully accessible comics storytelling as O'Connor tackles the story of the Aphrodite from her dramatic birth (emerging from sea-foam) to her role in the Trojan War.










Rating: 5 stars

Review:

This was fantastic! As a fan of Greek Mythology, I couldn't help being impressed with the interesting take the author made with the stories. I also love the personalities of all the Gods and Goddesses. They are the most powerful being around but yet they're just like us.

This story was told by the three Graces (or Charities), of how Aphrodite The Goddess of Love joined the Olympians. Fearing her power to bring about trouble and possibly cause a war (amongst the Gods), Zeus quickly married off Aphrodite to Hephaistos (Hephestus). Not happy with her new role as wife, Aphrodite tended to stir up trouble. But when she was not causing a little mischief, she was helping mortals such as with Pygmalion who had fallen in love with the sculpture he created. Aphrodite granted his prayer and turned the statue into a living breathing woman.

The real trouble starts when Eris, Goddess of Chaos, Strife and Discord showed up uninvited to the wedding of Thetis and Peleus. Tired of having to be on her best behavior (which was emphasized to her by Zeus), Eris tossed a golden apple and said it was for the most beautiful. Her plan to cause trouble worked because Hera, Athena and Aphrodite each believing they are the most beautiful reached out for it.

I enjoyed reading this and plan on adding this as well as the other books in the series to my wishlist. I will be buying all six books, that's for sure. This was very well written and the artwork was just beautiful. It was also quite humor.

I think this book is a great way for those who are unfamiliar with Greek Mythology to learn and enjoy it but it's also great for those who are already fans.