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Pichon, Liz
4 Reviews
(3)
4-6
Tom, his annoying sister Delia, and classmates Marcus (a.k.a. "Twit") and love interest Amy return for more school drama (Excellent Excuses), this time involving Tom's birthday and one very detailed (and ever-expanding) present list. Pichon's engaging style and clever doodles keep the pace at a solid clip. Dad's, er, unusual new job adds an extra dose of absurd humor and hilarious visual gags.
Reviewer: Rebecca Kirshenbaum
(4)
4-6
The second installment in Tom's bizarre saga finds him no further evolved. Enmeshed in his underperforming band DogZombies, Tom avoids homework; the dentist; his teacher's beady-eyed stare; and, of course, his grumpy, insult-wielding sister, Delia. The whole isn't very cohesive, but the combination of snarky text with clever doodles solidifies the series' appeal for readers who appreciate visual gags.
Reviewer: Rebecca Kirshenbaum
(4)
4-6
Fifth grader Tom Gates delights in annoying his older sister, Delia; practicing with his band, Dogzombies; and trying to impress the one and only Amy Porter. Through handwritten doodles and notes, Tom documents his antics, his quirky family, and the quest to see his favorite band in concert. Pichon's series-starter is lacking a cohesive story, but raucous hilarity keeps the pages turning.
Reviewer: Rebecca Kirshenbaum
(3)
K-3
After some zoo penguins discover a camera, they snap photos until it runs out of film--surprising its young owner when she retrieves it from the lost and found. The story is full of wit and visual gags, including a pullout showing what the mystified little girl sees after she develops her film: five consecutive shots of penguins hamming it up.
Reviewer: Nell Beram
4 reviews
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