Stinky Cecil in Operation Pond Rescue
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4.0 • 8 Ratings
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- $9.99
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
Sometimes big stories happen in small places. Sometimes big things happen to small creatures. This is one of those stories . . .
Cecil is a toad. A toad busy doing what any other toad does with its days--judging the pond splashing contest (Reggie the fly is usually the honorary winner by dint of his five-day lifespan), or visiting his friends, Jeff the free-range hamster, Rayray the lizard, Jeremy the worm, or Sprout the frog. And, of course, trying to keep clear of the local hawk.
But when Cecil discovers a freeway construction project aimed right at the pond, he knows he has to come up with a plan to save his home. But what can a small group of amphibians and a reincarnating fly do against construction vehicles and a steady onslaught of hot asphalt? Cecil isn't sure, but he knows they have to try.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Braddock, best known for her long-running syndicated comic, Jane's World, introduces the wisecracking denizens of a pond that is threatened by highway construction. Braddock's expertise with the pacing of three-panel comics is on full display while there is an overall trajectory, the story hops from one zinger to the next. Animal-themed puns are abundant ("I'm a toad, not a tree frog, you know," grouses protagonist Cecil, as he unsuccessfully attempts to scale the tree where Jeff, a "free-range hamster," lives in luxury), as are gotcha gags. "Poor Cecil... he hates flying," deadpans Jeremy, a worm, after a hawk snatches the toad away. Braddock's polished cartoons (seen in b&w by PW) play up the story's broad comedy (several jokes revolve around Cecil's scent-based defense mechanisms and Jeremy's lack of appendages) and move the action forward steadily in sequential panels typically two to four per page. The focus is on entertainment over ecology, but readers will still pick up useful information, particularly in a series of mini-adventures that close out the story. Ages 7 12.
Customer Reviews
Funny story
We liked the characters and the friendships!
HATE IT
for babies