Clyde

Clyde is bad, and he wants everyone to know it. Tired of living in Cubville, he's determined to prove his badness in the much rougher Grizzly City. But on the way, he gets punched out by a little butterfly, and he finds out he may not be as bad as he thought. Making great use of rapid-fire pacing that matches the off-kilter tone, Benton refrains from using the same old jokes, favoring instead a fresh blend of wry humor and slapstick comedy styles, which might end up delivering some laughs to adult readers in addition to the intended audience. Breaking creatures out of fish jail, wearing a butterfly as a half-bikini disguise, mourning the loss of a particularly good pine cone, and bonding over the love of a good thermos are just some of the hilarious, seemingly random scenarios that will get kids rolling with laughter. Benton's bright, loose cartoon style, especially Clyde's ever-grumpy eyebrows, is the perfect match for the brand of humor. Sure to be a hit with Dog Man fans.--Peter Blenski Copyright 2019 Booklist