The fact that our author, Alex Smith, is responsible for the amusing "Claude" series was all I needed to interest me in this book, the first in a new "Mr. Penguin" series. This one seems aimed at a slightly older crowd, but has the same charm and appeal as the "Claude" books.
This time out our heroes are the newly minted Adventurer/detective Mr. Penguin and his bowler-hatted spider sidekick, Colin. We're off to search for treasure in an old museum building, and maybe to foil some would be robbers.
Mr. Penguin is new to the Adventure business, and untested, but he proves his mettle in this tale. Smith excels at creating characters who are a bit innocent and inexperienced, but full of good instincts, good intentions, and the right stuff. I think these are great sorts of main characters for kids books. Mr. Penguin isn't foolish or sappy or cowardly or "silly". Like the book's readers, he's keen to have adventures, have experiences, do right, and "grow up". That you can have all of that with some excitement and a lot of laughs is just super extra bonus time.
The drawing supports all of that wonderfully. The lines are crisp and clear, and color is understated. The drawings illustrate what's going on in the story, so they are both amusing in their own right and helpful in understanding and following the action. Whimsy is in the eye of the beholder, but at least to me these characters just come across as fun and friendly.
"Smart" might seem to be an odd word to use to describe a funsy chapter book, but that's one of the distinguishing aspects of this book. The vocabulary isn't unfairly demanding, but Smith sometimes uses words that offer just enough challenge to engage an older reader and to broaden the reading experience. ("The sun was just peeking up above the roofs of the skyscrapers and sparkling off their windows. It made the entire town look like it was covered in sequins.") Sentences are complex, and there's enough subtle irony and deadpan humor mixed in to make the text a bit more sophisticated than seems usual to me.
So, I thought this was both good-natured fun and a quality reading experience, and I was delighted to have this new step up from "Claude".
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