Just as cute and easy to read as the first, with enough intrigue to push me to the third, I enjoyed this second in a series by Greenburg. I will likely look for the rest of them, if for no other reason than to hope to see Ma, Pa, and the Zombie again. ( )

Having barely escaped from the Onts (really two giant ants who wanted to kill them), Wally and Cheyenne Shluffmuffin have no choice but to hitchhike their way back to Jolly Days Orphanage. After catching a ride with a truck driver who claims to keep a brain in his trunk, Wally and Cheyenne are happy to be back at Jolly Days but Hortense Jolly is less pleased to see them and rats them out to the Onts. Wally and Cheyenne are soon on the run again with the Onts hot on their trail. Wally and Cheyenne have to deal with getting lost in a swamp, quicksand, no food, police, and a giant spider. As if that wasn't enough, just why does that zombie look like their late father?

Taking place right after "The Onts", the first book in Dan Greenburg's Secrets of Dripping Fang series, ended, "Treachery and Betrayal at Jolly Days" is great fun. There's a nice sense of humor throughout the book which is full of odd ball characters like Verne the brain touting truck driver; Hortense Jolly; the Onts; the Zombie; a bus driver who insists on exact change because it's the law; the orphans of Jolly Days; and Edgar Spydelle who just happens to be married to a giant spider. There are also some laugh out loud gross moments, mostly dealing with the zombie. While this is a children's book and therefore most of the humor is aimed at children, there are also some especially funny moments that adults will love: the full page ad for the Jolly Days Orphanage that is in the yellow pages; policemen named Beckett and Kafka; and a small diner with an amazing menu that includes filet mignon and coq au vin. The illustrations by Scott Fischer are also very funny and readers should look closely at them for hidden jokes. At 124 pages, the book is just the right length for young readers.

"Treachery and Betrayal at Jolly Days" is jolly good fun. ( )