Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Born in a town where nastiness is next to godliness and people punctuate their speech with ample cussing, Horrendo has been cursed with manners and tact. As if being a social oddity weren't bad enough, he and a handful of other 12-year-old boys are seized by a crew of pirates to use for drudgework, and only those with a steely resolve and slimy disposition can hope to survive. It's an outlandish premise, adapted from Fienberg's 2002 novel of the same name, and an effective setup for a jokey romp and an entertaining exercise in G-rated obscenity ("white-livered milksop," "greasy ball of slug spawn"). Kooistra's adaptation hews to the book's major plot points, but the visuals don't quite keep up with the colorful language; Simard opts for blocky shapes and bright, flat colors that do little to evoke the story's absurdity and grime. In the end, Horrendo and the other boys win over the surly pirate crew with a little TLC and use some clever trickery to save the day. A lighthearted lesson in the benefits of killing 'em with kindness. Ages 8-10. (Oct.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 4-6-On the day he was born, Horrendo was cursed by an old sea hag and doomed to always be polite to everyone. Now a young boy, he may know how to make delicious banana bread, but he has no idea how to stand up to the pirates who repeatedly raid his town and kidnap boys for their crew. Sure enough, Horrendo and his classmates are abducted during one such attack. Now, in order to survive, he must use both cunning and courtesy to escape the pirates and save his friends. The story is linear and has a predictable ending, but the unique name-calling and taunts are funny and make for an entertaining read. Simard's characters are drawn simplistically, but bright colors and sleek panel variation make this story stylish and add to the adventure. Some mild violence may be inappropriate for younger children, but the sleek layout and charming story will be good for older, reluctant readers.-Peter Blenski, Greenfield Public Library, WI (c) Copyright 2013. 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 Kirkus Book Review
A lad bearing the "curse" of unfailing politeness wages peace in this graphic version of a 2002 novel. Much trimmed from its original, the tale sweeps Horrendo and the other 12-year-olds in his ill-tempered town aboard a pirate ship that puts in regularly to pillage and replenish its crew. Being cursed at birth by a "wise woman" annoyed at everyone's hostility, he cannot curse, swear or hurt anyonebut he can cook like a pro and also concoct clever, if not always successful, escape plans. Ultimately, he beguiles the salty pirates with tasty victuals and kindness, leads them to hidden treasure and at last returns in triumph to his town. There, he helps to found a tavern with pirate gold and to revise the local school's curriculum to include classes in (wait for it) anger management. The story still bears a heavy message. Still, thanks to the tongue-in-cheek premise, a cast with names like Blusta and Mongrel, some colorful invective ("Now get off my ship, you bottom-dwelling swill-suckers!") and the uncomplicated humor in Simard's angular cartoons, it manages to stay afloat. Just a sketch of the earlier plotline remains, but the pictures make the action easy to follow, and the theme is as sweet as Horrendo's delectable French toast. (Graphic novel. 9-11)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
