Jerry, let me see the moon!

Attentive readers will quickly note that the residents of the gated Ohio community to which 11-year-old Jerry has just moved behave, strangely, like animals. And when the first full moon arrives, Jerry will discover why, as it turns them all into werebeasts. Hardly has he come to learn that they are actually refugees who have gathered for mutual protection than crisis looms; not only are they mysteriously stuck partway through their transformations and struggling to control their more feral inclinations, but a cryptid hunter comes to town on the trail of a grand exposé. Ebbeler gleefully loads up both his poker-faced narrative and his frequent, delicious illustrations with shape-changing "therianthropes," ranging from human-size squirrels and magpies to a lion, a panda, a naked mole rat ("We don't do pants"), an octopus, a comically doggy dog, and even a mosquito who is male but feigns being a bloodsucking female with a Big Gulp full of cranberry juice. Every creature parades past--except, it seems, a wolf, which becomes a running joke that builds to a well-timed punch line at the very end. Better yet, the author dishes up a young protagonist who, having been around the world with his roving, widowed dad, brings both a deep well of resourcefulness and a cosmopolitan acceptance of people with differences to this irreverent, breathlessly paced romp.

Things go squirrelly at a haven for were-creatures. Jerry and his dad have just moved to the gated community of Fort Phylum, Ohio, after years spent traveling to far-flung locations around the world for his father's research--which was ostensibly about rare creatures, but Dad "always kept an eye out for possible were-people." At first miserable to be stuck in such a boring place, Jerry soon realizes that there's more to Fort Phylum--and its residents--than meets the eye. Under the light of the full moon, the humans transform into a variety of animals: goats, rhinos, koalas, elephants, and more. But something goes wrong, and though the were-creatures normally coexist peacefully, this time the predators attack. And when it's time to transform back, some only change partially or not at all. Jerry suspects the problems have something to do with a news crew that's been sniffing around for a story, and with new friends Pearl (a were-squirrel) and Avery (a were-magpie), he sets out to make things right. With plenty of humor and dynamic black-and-white illustrations, this fast-paced tale is a good choice for reluctant readers as well as fans of lighthearted supernatural stories. Jerry and Pearl read white; Avery is cued Black, and there's some racial diversity in the supporting cast. An uncanny adventure story filled with humor and heart. (Paranormal. 8-12) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.