The eXpets, say hello to your next favorite elementary school graphic novel

Somewhere between learning to read and reading to learn is when elementary-aged children discover graphic novels. Their manic energy, full-color attitude, and age-appropriate puns, make the great graphic novels ones that are shared and the stuff of kid water cooler magic. The eXpets is the first book in a new graphic novel series that takes aim at a younger-than-usual demographic and will please that audience to no end.

Many of the emerging reader graphic novels that I’ve seen are perfect for some third, but mainly fourth and fifth graders. To keep things simple, I mean Dog Man, because that’s what every elementary school-aged student knows. The Investigators is another great graphic novel series that is a bit higher, in that it’s good for some fourth, but mainly fifth graders and middle school. The only reason for the latter being slightly more advanced is its humor is quicker, more numerous and more requires a little more living under your belt to get all of the jokes.

The eXpets by Mark Tatulli has the action, color, and silliness that those ages have come to expect from great graphic novels, but this does it at a slightly simpler level. It has many more sight gags that don’t rely on any text and there are some pages or panels that simply establish the setting, again without any text. The setup for the book is also very silly and will appeal to those younger elementary ages who might be intimidated by some of the already established graphic novels.

Wonder Guppy, Laser-Eye Kitty, Ginormous Gerbil, and Mr. Turtle make up The eXpets, a group of seemingly ordinary pets with extraordinary abilities. They are recruiting Bosco, a normal, borderline lazy dog who likes to play with cat toys and has very smelly breath. Bosco can also extend their legs to absurd lengths and one night he stops a robbery in his house by breathing on the two robbers. A couple of nights later Bosco is summoned to meet The eXpets by a flying robot-eye who keeps referring to him as Stanky Dog.

Stanky Dog, as he’s now known, is given an amulet that will put his super suit on and transport him the eXpets headquarters when they need to assemble. The first time danger calls for Stanky Dog he’s reluctant to do anything. The taunting from his housemate, Larry the lizard doesn’t help much for his confidence either. It’s then that they hear that all of the kittens in the world are being kidnapped and taken to an unknown destination. Stanky Dog loves some kittens so he flies off to meet the other eXpets to see how they can solve the mystery.

All of the kittens in the world have been kidnapped. The lead character is Stanky Dog and the others that help him are traditional house pets with laser beams coming from their eyes, the ability to transform to something many times larger than their small self and more superpowers. The only thing this book needs to be more attractive to elementary ages is to have it printed on pizza-scented paper. I just scratched a couple of the pages to see if they thought of this, and they don’t.

There are a couple of words in The eXpets that those second-grade students won’t be able to read, but they’ll want to. Those kids will look at the words, figure out what’s happening via the context clues and actions that the characters are going through, and hopefully try to sound out the word again. The next panel is likely to have comedic onomatopoeia as food gets eaten, laser beams get shot or kittens clamor for attention.

It’s a graphic novel that second graders will be able to understand and read once they sit down with the book. The eXpets is also funny enough to be attractive to those upper-elementary aged students. Those older kids will be able to easily read the jokes and dig into some of the humor that younger kids will miss for one reason or another.

Elementary ages will also know “stanky” from doing the Stanky Leg dance on the playground. Some of them know that certain dogs have breath that smells more than other dogs, and all of them will laugh multiple times at some pet doing something in The eXpets. This is a Black Hole of reading in the best of all possible ways. They’ll be attracted to the book and be blissfully unaware of the vortex they’re going in to. As there is a number “1” on the side of the book, and the fact that its ending sets up a second book; all people will need to do is put The eXpets 2 into their general area and watch them love to read in front of their eyes.

The eXpets is by Mark Tatulli and is available on Antheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster.

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