August 1, 2019
Grades K-1 Bad bunny Jack?originally a monkey but recast shortly before his first outing's publication?really lowers the behavioral bar in this second level-one book. For destroying books, Jack and Rex the dog both earn one-way tickets into space . . . where they crash into the saucer of three-eyed, four-armed Zip. Zip has just planted a proprietary flag, which Jack feeds to Rex so he can plant one of his own. Jack licks his snacks instead of sharing them, while Rex eats a tool that Zip needs to fix the saucer. But when the duo is menaced by a big red moon monster, Zip beams them aboard and takes them back to Earth. Does Earth want them? Zip says, ?Zoom beep deep kaboom.' That means ?Take him back or I'll zap the whole Earth.' Oh well, OK then. Emergent readers with a taste for transgressive high jinks, at least, will welcome Jack back. Pizzoli's very simple, brightly colored cartoon figures (capped by a drawing lesson at the end) play nicely with Barnett's pithy narrative.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)
January 1, 2020
We first meet Jack, a baseball-capped rabbit, as he waves hello, munches on snacks, and--swipes a woman's purse?! This initial encounter in Hi, Jack! sets the tone for the first four installments of Barnett and Pizzoli's easy-reader series: a roller coaster of sour and sweet moments for Jack, his dog friend Rex, and the nameless Lady. (Once he returns her purse. And her lipstick.) Jack makes trouble wherever he goes, from the baseball field (Jack at Bat) to outer space (Jack Blasts Off!), and the direct-address narration instructs him to mend his ways (in a not-always-constructive manner: "Jack, you are bad. You are a bad Jack. A bad, bad Jack"). Barnett makes creative use of a limited and largely decodable vocabulary for comedic effect, which invites beginners to read with expression and confidence. Pizzoli's illustrations, full of bold outlines and saturated colors, amplify the energy and dynamism in each story line. The text and illustrations work in tandem, sharing the weight of the narrative and blurring the lines between the picture book and easy reader genres while conforming to the physical specifications of the latter. This series promises an energetic romp through the good, the bad, and the bunny.
(Copyright 2020 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)