FARRELL, Darren. Doug-Dennis and the Flyaway Fib. illus. by author. unpaged. CIP. Dial. 2009. RTE $16.99. ISBN 978-0-8037-3437-1. LC 2009012141.

PreS-Gr 1–Doug-Dennis, a sneaker and cap-wearing sheep, goes to the circus with Ben-Bobby, an elephant with jet-black hair. In the midst of the action, Dougy commits the cardinal friend-offense; he eats Ben-Bobby’s popcorn and then lies about it. After telling his fib, he is immediately launched into space where he is surrounded by all sorts of other liars (everyone from kids with imaginary friends to used-car salesmen) and eventually figures out that the only way to escape is to tell the truth. Farrell’s offhanded humor and the absolute absurdity of the situation and characters make this a fun lesson in truth-telling. The pen and ink and digitally created cartoon illustrations feel almost childlike in their imagination (the animals inexplicably have pink eye patches over one eye) and contain hidden gems of humor, much like the text. Each page contains dialogue and characters that offer funny asides and quips beyond the main story. Much like the work of funnymen Jon Scieszka, Lane Smith, and Mo Willems, some of the humor is intended for adults, but the absolute silliness of the story will have young readers giggling as well. Farrell takes the typically dull subject of lying and offers a wacky sheep and elephant friendship as a way of opening up family conversations about telling the truth.–Sarah Townsend, Norfolk Public Library, VA

Farrell, Darren

DOUG-DENNIS AND THE FLYAWAY FIB 

Sheep Doug-Dennis and elephant Ben-Bobby are great friends, the type of buddies who go to the circus when bored. But when Doug-Dennis eats all of Ben-Bobby’s popcorn before the circus even starts, he decides to lie about it. The fib carries Doug-Dennis far away, into the heavens, as far as the truth will stretch. The story is told mostly through speech bubbles with amusing pen-and-ink cartoon drawings that move the familiar theme to a story of hilarious and exaggerated lengths. The image of the putty-limbed Doug-Dennis floating in outer space, attached only to his growing, speech-bubbled lie, among other lies and liars (“Who went pee? Where?” exclaims one innocent-looking little pup), will resonate with both young readers and the adults who read to them. This is no simple didactic treatise on the evils of lying; newcomer Farrell gives sound advice about getting out of a fib. Young readers and listeners will laugh with recognition at Doug-Dennis’s familiar plight and, after a few readings, will be reading it themselves. A promising first book; here’s hoping his second is just as funny. (Picture book. 4-8)

Doug-Dennis and the Flyaway Fib Darren Farrell. Dial, $16.95 (40p) ISBN 978-0-8037-3437-1

Sharp-edged irony and wacky cartoon visuals provide newcomer Farrell's moral tale with some serious wattage. Doug-Dennis, a rather vacant-looking sheep with stick legs and red basketball sneakers, can't bring himself to confess that he's eaten his friend Ben-Bobby's popcorn. After he tells a fib (“Hmm, maybe it was monsters. Yeah, that's it, monsters!!”), he quickly gets “carried away”—quite literally—by the very speech balloons that contain his fibs. To the amazement of onlookers below, he floats across the continents on his own hot air before arriving in a sort of fibbers' purgatory in outer space. Surrounded by hardcore fibbers (“This limited time offer is the deal of the century!!!” announces a man with five o'clock shadow and a briefcase), Doug-Dennis is so lonely and unsettled that he finds it in himself to confess, which allows him to descend to earth and make up with Ben-Bobby. Despite the antifib message, the fibs are where all the entertainment is (“I invented the inter-web,” declares a spider), and the ethically unsteady Doug-Dennis has plenty of Homer Simpson–like appeal. Ages 5–8.(Mar.)

Patneaude, David  Mar 2010. 272 p. Egmont, hardcover,  $16.99. (9781606840559).  

Adults don’t trust him, his potential is limited, and girls brush up close to get a whiff of his smell—yes, Kellen is a boy, and that’s a rare thing. It’s 2097, 30 years after a supervirus known as Elisha’s Bear wiped out 97 percent of the planet’s males. The world as run by women is largely free of the aggression that brought earth to the brink, and insemination protocols keep males to a safe 5 percent of the population. Kellen has resigned himself to his humble future when he overhears his mother, a powerful member of the Population Apportionment Council, speaking of a new outbreak heading toward a community of “throwbacks” (loner men) that includes Kellen’s father. With two female friends, Kellen escapes to warn his dad and in the process uncovers the shocking secrets behind Elisha’s Bear. Patneaude’s teen characters, intelligent and reasonable, question the wisdom of one group ever deciding the fate of another. Though the story becomes too reliant upon action sequences, a moving sense of loss blankets everything. 

In this sequel to You Are So Dead to Me, Jay keeps the action moving at a brisk clip. Sixteen-year-old Megan Berry, a powerful zombie Settler, is used to having her spells return the Undead to their graves without a fuss. Something's different this time, though—a new crop of zombies are not following the rules, and worse, Megan's Settler bosses think she's responsible for raising the zombies. With the help of her boyfriend, Ethan, and pom squad captain Monica, Megan works to clear her name and find the culprit. Along the way, she has to deal with her attraction to an Undead psychic, do her part to fend off cheerleaders trying to take the halftime shows away from the pom squad, and keep Arkansas from becoming the center of a zombie apocalypse. Jay's writing is light and engaging, and the characters are lively and likable (though some readers may want to shake Megan for her poor communication at times). While the plot hinges on events from the first book, the background is covered well enough that readers can start here without confusion. Ages 12–up. (Jan.)

Read the article here. (page 48 + 49)

"Megan and Monica kick some major undead butt in Jay's newest release. Jay is pitch-perfect with her heroine's attitude, and as Megan tries to be normal while (almost) everyone knows she's not, her struggle feels eerily recognizable."

Summary: Megan is back to settle the undead, this time with the help of her hottie boyfriend, Ethan, and her head pom dancer frenemy, Monica. But when super-powerful zombies are raised and can't be put down before they take a bite out of humans, and the one undead Megan keeps trying to settle refuses to find his rest, she becomes the main suspect. Suddenly she's skipping school and fighting with her parents. But what's a girl to do when the only person who has your back is undead -- and weirdly, kind of cute?

Jay, Stacey (Author)

Jan 2010. 320 p. Penguin/Razorbill, paperback, $8.99. (9781595142733).

In this delicious sequel to Jay’s You Are So Undead to Me (2009), teenaged pom-squad girl Megan goes up against evil not-quite-zombies, while trying to keep her college boyfriend and being unsettled by another cute guy who—of course—is quite dead. Though this is a lighthearted story, Jay does an excellent job of portraying serious and credible interpersonal relationships. Sharp storytelling, good writing, and the current hunger for zombie fiction make this a sure hit with some nutritive value. No need to be familiar with the prequel, but readers who first meet Megan here will likely ask for that one, too.

— Francisca Goldsmith