Clyde

May 24, 2019

Gr 2-4-Clyde the bear is tired of living in tranquil Cubville, so he sets off for Grizzly City, determined to show the world his "bad" side. He meets a butterfly who wants nothing more than to settle in Cubville. As Clyde guides the creature back to his hometown, he considers that perhaps being mean isn't as rewarding as he had hoped. Benton relies on bright, eye-catching illustrations, turning to muted tones only when the butterfly shares her story. The short length of the tale, combined with the simple vocabulary, will draw in both robust and emerging readers, and frequent action scenes will compel all readers to keep turning pages. Fans of Dav Pilkey's "Captain Underpants" will appreciate the cartoon violence and bathroom humor. Clyde makes some questionable choices, including throwing his grandmother in a lake, but in the end it's clear that he has a good heart. Adults may raise an eyebrow at some of his choices, as well as how the butterfly refers to Clyde as "dog poop," but they will cheer when Clyde saves the day. VERDICT This tale of a runaway bear learning that it doesn't pay to be bad is recommended for most public and elementary school libraries.-Jenni Frencham, Indiana University, Bloomington

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2019
Grades 2-4 Clyde is bad, and he wants everyone to know it. Tired of living in Cubville, he's determined to prove his badness in the much rougher Grizzly City. But on the way, he gets punched out by a little butterfly, and he finds out he may not be as bad as he thought. Making great use of rapid-fire pacing that matches the off-kilter tone, Benton refrains from using the same old jokes, favoring instead a fresh blend of wry humor and slapstick comedy styles, which might end up delivering some laughs to adult readers in addition to the intended audience. Breaking creatures out of fish jail, wearing a butterfly as a half-bikini disguise, mourning the loss of a particularly good pine cone, and bonding over the love of a good thermos are just some of the hilarious, seemingly random scenarios that will get kids rolling with laughter. Benton's bright, loose cartoon style, especially Clyde's ever-grumpy eyebrows, is the perfect match for the brand of humor. Sure to be a hit with Dog Man fans.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)