Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Agee's (I Want a Dog) graphic novel fantasy adventure is written entirely in 200 palindromes created by himself and "a variety of sources"--from the names of white-skinned protagonist Otto and his little dog Pip, to a billboard advertising Lion Rock Corn Oil, to the passerby who remarks "No jazz. I prefer pizza, Jon." The offbeat story launches when his father's hypnotic-looking soup ("Nosh, son!") causes Otto to imagine that he and his family have been transported to a dreamlike world largely populated by toys from his bedroom come to life. When Pip runs away, Otto pursues on a trek filled with incident--and undeniably inventive palindromes--until Otto's roused from his dining room daydream. Otto is more wandering tabula rasa than lead player, and the paneled, muted-palette drawings feel very much in service to the what-will-they-come-up-with-next wordplay. But the concept fulfills its offbeat premise in sequences that gleefully underline the fun of a good palindrome, and the joy of finding wordplay wherever one looks--whether Otto's visiting an art "mueseum" ("Koons nook") or wandering through a cemetery ("Del was awled"), the results are supremely strange and funny. Ages 9--12. Agent: Holly McGhee, Pippin Properties. (Sept.)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 2--5--An epic adventure begins in Otto's kitchen when his family settles in for dinner, speaking only in palindromes ("Mmm," "Spoon it in--oops!"), a conceit that continues throughout. As Otto, a young white boy, gazes into his bowl, viewers suddenly see him and his family vacationing on a beach. While his parents bask in the sun, Otto finds himself on a quest as he searches for his lost dog, Pip: He treks through a desert, catches a ride into the city, visits a museum and a cemetery, and is caught in a storm at sea. Moving through various landscapes and offering endless details, Agee's graphic novel is a feast for the eyes. There are 200 palindromes in the book, and it's clear why Agee is considered an expert on the subject. When Otto enters the museum, visitors exclaim, "Gustav Klimt milk vats? Ug!" Palindromes can be found on billboards, license plates, and tombstone epigraphs as Agee creates a sophisticated brand of wit and clever wordplay that will appeal to young humorists. Relying on muted tones, the artwork is rendered in Agee's distinct comic style, with nods to artists like Charles M. Schulz and Jeff Koons. VERDICT Readers will be entranced by this dreamlike graphic novel that boasts a substantial collection of palindromes and an engaging visual narrative.--Claire Moore, Manhattan Beach Lib., CA
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Review by Horn Book Review
Idiosyncratic picture-book creator and consummate wordsmith Agee has crafted a graphic novel pulling together work from several past titles (including Go Hang a Salami! I'm a Lasagna Hog!; Sit on a Potato Pan, Otis!, rev. 3/99; and Palindromania!, rev. 9/02) along with new material to create an altogether original example of sequential storytelling -- with a text written entirely in palindromes. Drawn into a daydream by some hypnotic soup, young protagonist Otto suddenly finds himself on a beach. When his dog, Pip, runs off after a human-sized rodent holding a boogie board ("Was it a rat I saw?"), the search begins. Non sequiturs abound, with one surreal scene transitioning to the next, such as when Otto leaves a costumed, cat-stacking adult ("Put a cat up!") to meander through a graveyard of cheeky gravestones ("So, Ida, Adios!"). Smartly, many of the pages adhere to a fast-moving nine-panel structure, while single pages and double-page spreads serve as visual transitions between scenarios. A muted color palette and thick, sketchy black lines result in an assured cartoon style. The book is immersive and impressively cogent, with Otto returning from his soup-induced reverie to find himself back at home, yet readers will be left wondering whether things are actually as they appear. Acknowledgments credit the creators of palindromes not composed by Agee while also citing his friendly rivalry with fellow palindromists as a source of inspiration for the book. Simply put...WOW! Patrick Gall March/April 2022 p.(c) Copyright 2022. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
The panjandrum of palindromes crafts and collects some 200 examples to drive a picaresque graphic tale that (of course!) ends where it began. Sure, the action is visually driven and most of the panels wordless--but from the initial "Mmm" to the concluding "Peep!" young Otto's peregrinations are positively laced with well-placed palindromic dialogue, sound effects, signs, billboards, and labels. Ripples in a bowl of soup become a portal that lands the White lad on a beach. After various surreal sights ("Emus sail, I assume?"), he hitches a ride into a city crowded with passersby from "Regan Amy Trapp, party manager" to "Neil, a li'l alien," then on to stores, a cemetery, and other stops before at last fetching up in his own urban backyard. Though he's not above a "li'l" fudging ("Wanna potato pan? Naw"), Agee never breaks away from his premise, and he matches lines and locales with terrific ingenuity (at an art museum: "Even I'd order a red Rodin, Eve!" but "Gustav Klimt milk vats? Ug!"; a Robert Indiana--esque POOP sculpture is in the background). Astonishingly, somehow he keeps the plotline (more or less) coherent. Having drawn on the constructions of other palindromists to supplement his own, he readily shares credit in a closing note. The human figures in his palely tinted cartoons are mostly White, but some few have pale olive skin. (This book was reviewed digitally.) A rare treat, backward and forward. (Graphic fantasy. 6-9) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
