Bunny vs. Monkey and the Human Invasion

Starred review from January 15, 2024
More manic monkey and bunny mischief. In the latest installment in this high-energy, over-the-top-silly graphic novel series, Bunny, Monkey, and their cadre of woodland compatriots share more zany forest adventures. The book is split into four parts, each named for a season and then broken down into smaller vignettes, most comprising only a few pages. As before, Bunny, Monkey, Pig, Skunky, and Le Fox embark upon all types of gonzo escapades, including encounters with myriad robots, lasers, explosions, and, of course, prolific poop and fart jokes. In one tale, "Fishyplops," Monkey makes a giant metal fish to distract Bunny while he writes the word poo all over Bunny's humble home. In "So Many Monkeys," egotistical Monkey faces a seemingly existential crisis when he clones himself, but things take a comical turn. The threat of human developers looking to pave a road through the animals' beloved woodland home forms a narrative arc that loosely ties the episodes together, but even so, linear reading is not required. The unrelenting sugar-rush, off-the-wall tempo and aggressively colorful and busy illustrations can become tiresome to the point of tedium. (Really, how many versions of the same gag can the audience endure?) Still, thankfully, the episodic nature lends this work well to casual reading, making it a fun choice for readers who are between Dav Pilkey titles. Unapologetic goofiness galore, perhaps best consumed in small doses. (character drawing instructions) (Graphic animal fantasy. 7-10)

COPYRIGHT(2024) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.