Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 3-5-Cowell is getting a great deal of mileage from her pseudomemoirs of the delightfully alliterative Viking. She retains her touch in this latest volume, which relates Hiccup's quest to find the Vegetable-That-No-One-Dares-Name, namely a potato that is the only thing that can prevent his friend Fishlegs from dying of Vorpentitis. The potato, you see, is an imaginary vegetable that comes from a place that doesn't really exist: America. When Hiccup realizes that he has only until 10 o'clock the next morning to find the mythical vegetable, it is a race against time and against the wishes of his father. It also requires traveling with the charming bog-burglar Camicazi, breaking into the headquarters of Norbert the Nutjob and his Hysteric tribe, and stealing the frozen potato while they sleep, all the while trying to avoid a fearsome sea predator. The result is an irresistible concoction. As with all the "Hiccup" books, this one is full of amusing illustrations, clever design that includes inkblots scattered throughout the pages, and an occasional explanation of hibernating dragons and venomous vorpents. This action-filled and compelling story will draw readers along. It's a must for libraries that have the previous books in this series, which is probably most.-Tim Wadham, Maricopa County Library District, Phoenix, AZ (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
In this fourth Hiccup the Viking adventure, the unlikely hero quests after a cure for the deadly Vorpentitis disease that's stricken his best friend, Fishlegs. Zany sketchlike black-and-white illustrations, playful fonts, and silly gags continue the series's fun, although readers familiar with it may find this installment is just more of the same. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Once again, the small and seemingly powerless triumph over the huge and hulking, when, as to prevent a horrible death, young Chieftain's son Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III sets out in search of . . . The Vegetable That No One Dares Name. Well-populated with thuggish, aptly named adversaries like Snotface Snotlout and Norbert the Nutjob, Hiccup's latest adventure takes him--along with his drama queen mini-dragon, Toothless, and reckless but capable companion, Camicazi, daughter of Big-Boobied Bertha--to the Island of Hysteria, and then to a confrontation with a mountainous marine dragon known as a Doomfang. Illustrated, like its three series predecessors, with both scribbly sketches and random blots of ink, this seemingly farcical outing delivers more than it promises, continuing to develop the theme that a true leader is better served by brains and a conscience than by brawn alone. (Fantasy. 10-12) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
