Bunny vs. Monkey

October 26, 2015
Smart keeps the laughs coming in this compilation of comics that were previously published in the British comic The Phoenix. Reflecting the weekly nature of that publication, these 26 two-page episodes move through the seasons as they follow the combative exchanges between the villainous Monkey and forest-dwellers Bunny, Pig, and Weenie the squirrel. Monkey—who thinks he’s on another planet, when his spaceship actually launched from a nearby scientific facility—wastes no time in attempting to conquer the forest, aided by the destructive/defective inventions of a skunk with an underground lab. Smart’s animals are cuter than cute, which makes the mayhem of inventions like a rotten-egg-dropping chicken zeppelin all the funnier, and the ever-cheerful and none-too-bright Pig and Weenie often steal the spotlight. (After dressing up as a ghost for Halloween—in May—Weenie only scares himself: “Augh! I’m a ghost? I’m scared of ghosts,” he wails. “Did I diiiiiiie?”) Some of the tired insults that get slung around (dumb, sissies, “like a girl”) are overdue for retirement, but there’s still a lot to enjoy in this collection. Ages 7–10.

November 1, 2015
A gentle rabbit and his forest friends are thrown into upheaval when a mischievous monkey moves into their home. Affable Bunny lives in a peaceful wood with his kind-but-not-too-bright friends Weenie the squirrel and Pig. One fateful day, a megalomaniacal monkey is launched Muttnik-style from a science lab to land not in space, but in Bunny's forest. Monkey, determined to take over the area and make it Monkey-topia, befriends Skunky, a brilliant skunk with a knack for creating diabolical machines. The pair employs various methods to rid the forest of its residents, including Caterpillarzilla, which eats everything in sight, a robot crocodile named Metal Steve, a plot involving a fake mustache and some dubious legal-looking documents, a terrifically spooky bat costume, and the robot cockroach. Much like many other cartoon heroes, the ever patient Bunny seems to somehow outfox all of Monkey's harebrained schemes, saving his home for yet another day. A number of small, episodic vignettes captures their antics, framing them around calendar months to add a cohesive feel to the frenetically paced narrative. Small, busy, action-filled panels deliver a nearly ceaseless barrage of high jinks, cuteness, and giggle-worthy sight gags; it all has an easy feel, similar to network cartoons. Recommend this to fans of James Kolchalka's quirky brand of humor. More fun--and silliness--than a barrel of monkeys. (Graphic fantasy. 6-10)

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December 1, 2015

Gr 3-5-What do you get when you cross a peaceful forest bunny and a deranged space monkey and throw in Chicken Zeppelins and bungee-jumping beavers? The resulting mash-up is graphic novel gold. A team of scientists have sent Monkey into space, or so they thought. His spaceship never leaves orbit, crash-landing in Bunny's tranquil forest, where he claims the "new world" as his own, and all manner of hilarity ensues. Smart creates an absorbing story, spanning the months from January to June, that keeps readers invested in their newfound forest friends. The illustrations are bold, with nary a speck of unused or wasted page. VERDICT The start of a new series, this is ideal for elementary-age readers and a must-own series for any graphic novel collection.-John Trischitti, Midland County Public Libraries, TX

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