Synopsis
It's Baron von Baddie VS Captain Kapow!
Children's Literature
The evil genius Baron von Baddie always has his plans stopped by Captain Kapow. In spite of his bouts of prison time, the Baron is always planning his next invention. One day, during an ice ray experiment, he does the unthinkable: he stops Captain Kapow. Now, the Baron can get away with anything he wants! At first, he has great fun in building robots, switching the days of the week and eating doughnuts. But by the third week of this, he finds things have become routine and dull. He realizes that maybe he needs Captain Kapow; so, off to his laboratory he goes. The Baron discovers how to free the captain and sets things right—at least for a few hours. The mixed media collages in this cartoonish, briskly-told story add subtle humor of their own. Readers will appreciate the humor to be found in the text bubbles and subtle details. The large, cartoon-like illustrations can draw in reluctant readers, and the simple plot ensures the story moves quickly. The story does not go farther that the duel between von Baddie and Captain Kapow. However, the Baron's exploits may appeal to first and second grade readers, particularly those that need some help with their reading. Reviewer: Elizabeth Fronk