Tracy Detz

Zany, spacy fun and bright illustrations meet to form imaginative scenes packed with humor and a modern message.

Valor is from Venus, and he loves to have some tricky fun. Humans can be so hilarious to scare. With his cat, he flies to Earth to cause some silly mischief, but nothing works out the way it should. The humans have all turned into zombies! Valor decides it's time to help them escape their fate, but isn't sure it will work.

The illustrations in this one invite to fun, space silliness. Each scene pops of the page with bright, bold colors and very bubbly scenes. It's light-hearted, humorous, and packed with imagination. Even the scenes on Earth hold a light, positive aura, while an important, modern-day message sneaks right in. Every page invites to smiles and space dreams.

The text is written in rhyme, flowing a bit whimsical as it allows the tale to unfold. The words are suited to ages 4 and up and can be read by readers, who are more sure of their words. The rhymes spin cleverly and, mostly, in a natural beat, making them great for a read aloud.

The message in this one gets pretty clear the moment zombies start ruining Valor's fun. It's one that fits today's lifestyle well and is just as focused on adults (if not even more so) than the young listeners. While the message is strong and impossible to overlook, the silliness keeps it from becoming too preachy. Young readers/listeners will wish they could meet Valor and Victor themselves and dream of what aliens might visit them, too.… (más)

With fish on his mind, Charles the croc learns an important lesson...and not the easiest way.

Charles is a croc, who would much rather go fishing than to school. With his rod and canoe, he heads out to catch fish for dinner. But instead of fish, he's catching the craziest things. As he hooks stranger and stranger items, it becomes clear that there's more behind his bad fishing than his own lack of skill.

Charles is a fun crocodile with quite the attitude...and he has fried fish on his brain. His determination and tad bit of hilarious wit make him a humorous character. As he starts to catch anything but fish, giggles are sure to spring up. The catch gets sillier and sillier, and it's fun to watch the fish under the water laughing and planning. In other words, smiles are guaranteed.

The illustrations are bright and allow the atmosphere to unfold with all of its silly quirks. Charles is well done, fitting the role perfectly. The text is written in rhyme and flows fairly well. The tale works nicely as a read aloud and will definitely entertain the intended age group while bringing across the message of how important it is to attend school.

I received a complimentary copy and enjoyed this cute croc's antics quite a bit. So, I'm leaving my honest thoughts.… (más)