Link + Hud

Starred review from February 27, 2023
In this hilarious illustrated novel, young brothers Lincoln and Hudson Dupré love turning simple tasks and daily chores into vivid make-believe scenarios that have them “hooting and hollering”; one scene involves them imagining garage cleanup duty as a Himalayan expedition in search of yetis. Their antics, which leave a string of beleaguered babysitters in their wake, frustrate their parents, who rely on outside childcare to balance family matters with their careers. Then the Duprés hire elderly, bespectacled Ms. Joyce, a no-nonsense woman who, when a pretend intergalactic space exploration impels a food fight, sentences the boys to “ten minutes of toyless, gameless, sit-and-think-about-your-actions time in the bathroom.” Despite her efforts, an incident results in a water balloon–drenched, wet-tissue-paper-filled living room, and Link and Hud’s parents dismiss Ms. Joyce. But the siblings—seeing the impact their behavior has on their parents’ struggling businesses—determine to bring her back. Comics panels, full-page spreads, and spot art rendered in gray tones alternate between the boys’ imagined adventures and their real-life consequences. The Pumphreys (Somewhere in the Bayou) reteam to present a hybrid prose and graphic novel offering that, rather than denouncing the brothers’ actions, celebrates the far reaches and positive ramifications of the duo’s imagination, making for an uplifting and spirited interpretation of family and boundless creativity. Ages 9–12. Agent: Hannah Mann, Writers House.

March 1, 2023
Two African American boys use their overactive imaginations to try to get rid of a meddlesome babysitter. Lincoln Dupr� and younger brother Hudson's exploits in their garage--overturned boxes of packing peanuts form the snow-capped peaks of the Himalayas--get them into trouble with their father. Dr. Dupr�, a podiatrist and serial entrepreneur, believes his Black hair-care products are a brilliant business idea in the making, and he has made the garage strictly off limits. Layla, a neighbor girl who was the boys' sitter, was just the latest in a series of caregivers who failed to keep them out of trouble. After Hud's invisibility spell fails him during his mom and dad's living-room pitch to prospective hair product customers and he makes a surprising nude appearance, Mrs. Joyce, an older lady, steps in as the brothers' latest babysitter. Mrs. Joyce is strict and lays down the law, so Link and Hud attempt various covert operations to make her go away. Humor is used to great effect in this series opener that alternates prose with illustrated panels. The authors' use of verbal asides and hilariously over-the-top descriptions to convey the brothers' interactions will make readers laugh out loud. The make-believe elements of the story make the boys relatable and charming and are communicated expressively through the loosely drawn, energetic grayscale illustrations. Most characters are Black. A humorous tale of epic brotherly shenanigans that will leave readers eager for more. (Graphic/fiction hybrid. 8-12)

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March 3, 2023

Gr 3-7-Fresh, funny, and wildly imaginative, this book has everything in one place: graphic novel-style illustrations and prose, semi-autobiographical adventure, humor, and good fun. Two brothers, Hud and Link (Hudson and Lincoln Dupr�), are ordinary kids living in a different world by using "active imaginations" in their parents' world of reality. The brothers Pumphrey have created an action-packed story that is laugh-out-loud funny for middle grade readers. Hud and Link's parents are trying to start a hair care product business that isn't going quite the way they'd hoped. The boys get into a lot of shenanigans, hunting for yetis, battling orcs, trekking across planets, climbing high mountains, and so much more. They go through many babysitters, and their parents can't take it anymore. Finally, Hud and Link's parents hire Ms. Joyce, an old-fashioned, no-nonsense woman to put the boys in their place. The brothers decide that Ms. Joyce is not the right fit and has to leave. Through many dynamic, black-and-white panels, the brothers decide to come up with a scheme and go against their adversary to get her fired. The boys find a solution to their problem, but is it the best laid plan? VERDICT Readers of all backgrounds will enjoy this story of two Black brothers growing up and using their imaginations in a unique story full of mischief and mayhem.-Jacquetta Etheridge

Copyright 2023 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from May 1, 2023
With underwear on their heads and kitchen implements held high (for example), brothers Lincoln and Hudson imagine themselves into various superheroic scenarios, wreaking havoc around their house. Their hardworking parents (Dad's an inventor and podiatrist; Mom runs the medical practice), fed up with distracted teen sitters, hire a new "mature" ("she's ancient!" says Link) babysitter. Gold-toothed Ms. Joyce administers time-outs in the bathroom ("I'll never understand why parents these days send they kids to they rooms...All 'em toys and games"), compulsively cleans, and talks back to her "stories" on TV. The brothers' imaginary-play energy turns to foiling their nemesis -- with unexpected results. The Pumphrey brothers' tale about two highly creative, collaborative, and spirited brothers is told through a hugely engaging mix of lively comic-panel adventures (for Link and Hud's imaginings) and a copiously illustrated chapter-book format (for real life). Where the scenes intersect often leads to hilarity, as when Hud shows up naked in the living room while Dad is pitching his Black hair care product. "'Good heavens!' shouted a lady on the couch, who dropped the open Au Salon bottle she had been smelling, which sent cocoa butter�? scented shampoo squirting across the coffee table" -- and it just gets funnier from there. Elissa Gershowitz

(Copyright 2023 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)