Synopsis
Children's Literature
When goofy puppy Andy accidentally breaks the leg off of Stone Rabbit's favorite coffee table, he does what any good friend would do—go to the comic book store and forget all about buying a new table leg. Fortunately for Stone Rabbit, the comic book store just happens to have a peg leg lying around that's perfect for repairing the coffee table. Unfortunately, the peg leg used to belong to the infamous pirate Barnacle Bob, who rises from the dead when Stone Rabbit nails the leg into his table. Before Andy and Stone Rabbit can blink, Barnacle Bob resurrects the rest of his undead crew; shanghais Andy and Stone Rabbit into becoming his cabin boy and first mate; and picks up where he left off—attacking the snobby royal fleet (which just happens to be made up of ghosts too). Yikes! How are Andy and Stone Rabbit going to get out of this? Similar to the fast-paced animated shows on Cartoon Network, Pirate Palooza feels a lot like going on Disneyland's Pirates of the Caribbean ride during a sugar rush—energetic and fun, but exhausting and dizzying afterward. Great for kids who like non-stop action in their stories, but a bit tiring for readers who like to catch their breath in between battles. Reviewer: Michael Jung
Editorials
Children's Literature -
When goofy puppy Andy accidentally breaks the leg off of Stone Rabbit's favorite coffee table, he does what any good friend would do—go to the comic book store and forget all about buying a new table leg. Fortunately for Stone Rabbit, the comic book store just happens to have a peg leg lying around that's perfect for repairing the coffee table. Unfortunately, the peg leg used to belong to the infamous pirate Barnacle Bob, who rises from the dead when Stone Rabbit nails the leg into his table. Before Andy and Stone Rabbit can blink, Barnacle Bob resurrects the rest of his undead crew; shanghais Andy and Stone Rabbit into becoming his cabin boy and first mate; and picks up where he left off—attacking the snobby royal fleet (which just happens to be made up of ghosts too). Yikes! How are Andy and Stone Rabbit going to get out of this? Similar to the fast-paced animated shows on Cartoon Network, Pirate Palooza feels a lot like going on Disneyland's Pirates of the Caribbean ride during a sugar rush—energetic and fun, but exhausting and dizzying afterward. Great for kids who like non-stop action in their stories, but a bit tiring for readers who like to catch their breath in between battles. Reviewer: Michael JungSchool Library Journal
Gr 2-5
This book will give those children who love the ridiculous just what they want: a zany, mile-a-minute graphic novel. When a living-room wrestling match results in a broken coffee-table leg, Stone Rabbit and his wolf friend, Andy, think they've found the perfect fix-a genuine pirate's peg leg. After attaching it to the table, they are visited by its previous owner, Barnacle Bob. The ghost pirate takes Stone Rabbit and Andy aboard his vessel, the Biscotti , and makes them part of his crew. When Andy is in danger of getting thrown overboard, Stone Rabbit has to decide if he is a heartless pirate or a friend. His decision sends the two pals to a showdown with the ghost pirates in the local comic shop. The bold illustrations are bursting at the seams with energy. Occasionally, quick changes in perspective require some extra effort from readers to follow the action, but many children will be delighted with the book's quick pace, cheeky dialogue, and pop-culture references.-Travis Jonker, Dorr Elementary School, MI