Beast Friends Forever: Meet the Beast

"Nine-year-old Zeke's father sends a care package to Zeke and his younger sister Hannah from an aircraft carrier in the Bermuda Triangle. When the package arrives and the kids bust it open fighting over it, candy wrappers flutter out--but no candy. Soon strange things begin to happen around the house: Snacks disappear, odd voices grumble in Zeke's room, sneakers and dolls vanish. Zeke and Hannah mount a monster hunt and FIND ONE! Beast is a tiny magical refugee from Triangle Island, which is currently ruled by evil trolls. He has the tricksy magic of "swap-o." For a short time, he can swap items from there (Triangle Island) to here. Zeke and Hannah find that can cause trouble, but it can also solve bully problems. Illustrator Nate Evans collaborates with his younger brother Vince for this wide-eyed kickoff to a new series for the chapter-book crowd. Fast action scenes switch to graphic format, and all of the copious black-and-white illustrations resemble cleaned-up MAD magazine comics with more goggling eyes. Good for a few goofy laughs." - Kirkus (Kirkus )"This kickoff volume of the Beast Friends Forever series is a screwball comedy from brothers Nate and Vince Evans (the Humpty Dumpty Jr., Hardboiled Detective books). When Zeke and Hannah's father, who's stationed on an aircraft carrier in the Bermuda Triangle, sends them a box filled with candy, it arrives empty. A shadowy shape lurking behind the kids presages their discovery of an impish beast that has stowed away. An escapee from an island that's been commandeered by trolls, Otto takes up residence under Zeke's bed and wows the siblings with his "tricksy tricks," which include transforming objects into fantastical creatures, one of which helps Otto best the school bully. Most of the story is written as a heavily illustrated chapter book, though it jumps into graphic novel format when the action escalates; the hyperbolic line art helps move the story along briskly. Adding to the inanity is ample potty talk and insult-hurling ("booger-brain" is oft-used), and Otto's lingo--a combination of pirate-speak and nonsense (he calls the marauding trolls "slimy pickle-noses" and "hairy skunk-sniffers")--should bring on giggles." - Publishers Weekly (Publishers Weekly )"This well-plotted and fanciful opener promises a series that early chapter-book readers will appreciate... Set in the kids' house, school, and neighborhood, the tale unfolds with a few nicely handled subplots, including one about a bully who is eventually bested by the beast. It's likely that the nasty fellow will need to be reconquered again in future episodes, adding a dynamic that readers will enjoy anticipating in addition to sillier high jinks from Otto. Bouncy cartoon illustrations and a few passages in comic-strip format punctuate the brief chapters, but the narrative is seamless despite these multiple storytelling approaches. A good start to the Beast Friends Forever series." - Booklist (Booklist )