The Flying Beaver Brothers

July 1, 2013

Gr 2-6-What could have been another inane slapstick-ridden set of animal adventures is saved in a big way by unusual characters and a wonderfully dry, deadpan sense of humor. Ace and Bub live on a forested island in a large body of water in an undetermined location. Various threats seem to constantly destroy the tranquillity of their preferred way of life, and the brothers are called upon to keep the peace using their wits, moxie, and more than a little bit of good luck. In book three, a boatload of moles with a population-control problem on their own island is trying to steal dirt from Beaver Island using a gargantuan vacuum cleaner. In book four, an enterprising fish attempts to clear one of the islands of its residents by pitting birds and bunnies against one another. As each group tries to drive the other away, Walter Mackerel the Fourth makes plans to open a resort for Squirrels. Each time, the brothers manage to restore order, but one always gets the impression that they'd much rather be taking it easy. This adds immeasurably to the charm of the series, fit to join the ranks of other popular kids' comics series like Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm's "Babymouse" (Random) and Michael Townsend's "Kit Feeny" (Knopf). Simple cartoon artwork keeps the focus on the action, using black, grays, and one additional color (different for each volume).-J. M. Poole, Webster Public Library, NY

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 15, 2013
Birds vs. bunnies: It was only a matter of time. Fans of the Flying Beaver Brothers already know what to expect when they pick up a new volume in the series. There will be goofy sound effects. (The latest book, the fourth, includes the words "GABLOBBLE!" and "SPLOIP!") There will be household objects of enormous size (in this case, a giant hamster cage and an even larger desk fan). But the jokes in this outing are funnier than ever. Eaton's sense of humor has become so dry that the best jokes don't even sound like jokes out of context. The funniest line is, "We also have secondary ocular membranes." Readers will laugh hysterically and then tell their friends, "You had to be there." The plot is summed up in the title: Birds get into a war with bunnies. But the plot is never the point in a Flying Beaver Brothers comic. The point is that the artist gets a shot at drawing a giant fan and a fish in a diving helmet. The Flying Beaver Brothers may not look imposing, but they can meet any challenge they take on, even armies of birds and bunnies. By the end of the book, readers will believe a beaver can fly--and that they also have secondary ocular membranes. (Graphic novel. 6-10)

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January 1, 2014
In these installments, beaver bros Ace and Bub combat a slew of nearsighted moles stealing Beaver Island's dirt for their own depleting island then get caught in the middle of a bird-bunny territory feud over on Little Beaver Island. The speech-balloon text is deadpan, and the dynamic comic-panel illustrations--pen-and-ink with monochromatic digital coloring--feature plenty of action paired with onomatopoeia.

(Copyright 2014 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)