Eye of the Baloney Storm

February 1, 2022
Grades 2-5 Troubled times in Deerburbia: business has ground to a halt at Pizza Paradise, headquarters to the absurd marine-mammalian father-daughter superhero duo of Dolphin Girl and Captain Dugong. Worse, the citizens of Deerburbia are suddenly fawning over Wonder Friend, a beefy nonbinary hero who hands out free veggies (veggies!). Worser, the villainous Sea Cow has hatched a nefarious plan to unleash a destructive, sentient baloney storm on the town and, in the aftermath, launch a questionable new phone app. Only by working together, believing in their true selves, and playing a perfect round of golf can our onesie-wearing heroes save the day. The second volume in former pizza-delivery-guy Smith's madcap series is just as hilariously absurd and frenetic as the first, expanding on the zany world with new backstory and characters--and even some gender inclusivity. The artwork's comic intensity, reminiscent of classic cartoons like The Ren & Stimpy Show or Spongebob Squarepants, is undeniably captivating, and a remarkably high punchline-to-panel ratio, along with a meaty page count, means this will leave new and returning fans well fed.

COPYRIGHT(2022) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

May 1, 2022

Gr 3-7-Dolphin Girl attempts to upstage a new, beloved superhero; save the Pizza Paradise hideout; and rescue the town from a deluge of bologna. She and sidekick Otter Boy look for dirt on the ever-popular Wonder Friend, only to discover more of his talents and accidentally sabotage his powers. Returning readers might have a head start on everyone else in making sense of the chaotic story. How many comics do you know that hinge on whether a middle-aged man dressed as a dugong can defeat an eyepatch-wearing villain dressed as a cow in a golf match while it's raining bologna? Smith's sense of humor begs for hilarious voice acting, whether out loud or in readers' heads. The visual punchlines land too, such as when the heroes completely miss their triumphant high-five, or when a man's head pops in disbelief then grows back over the course of a page. VERDICT Madcap absurdity drives several jokes per page that will feel like home to young "Bob's Burgers" fans. Starting at the beginning is in order.

Copyright 2022 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.