Louie and Bear in the Land of Anything Goes: A Graphic Novel

by Brady Smith, Brady Smith (Illustrator)

Overview

"The kind of book I wish I had as a kid!" – Christopher Eliopoulos, author-illustrator of Cosmic Commandos

Get sucked in - literally - to the Land of Anything Goes with Louie and Bear, in this hilarious graphic novel filled with bizarre new worlds, crazy creatures, and a whole lot of adventure! Perfect for fans of Hilo and Cardboard Kingdom!

Welcome to the Land of Anything Goes! It's a world filled with wild creatures, absurd chicken-boy hybrids, and oh, did we mention the giant,winged, kid-eating monster called a Cacapoop?

When Louie and his pet hamster get sucked through a portal into a bizarre new land where truly anything can happen, they have no idea the adventure that's waiting for them. Really, they're less focused on adventure and more concerned about the fact that Louie has turned into a wrestler, Scooty the hamster has become Bear the giant bear, and they're now being chased across a purple planet by a terrifying monster! When they find other kids stuck on the planet too, they learn that things are even worse than they feared — dozens of kids are trapped by the dastardly Hairy Larry, and it's up to Louie to save them all. And if that wasn't worrying enough, Bear can't even find a single burrito to eat! In order to make it home alive, Louie and Bear will have to embrace their destinies and save the day... or be stranded in the Land of Anything Goes forever.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780593224151
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	12/07/2021
Pages:	160
Product dimensions:	6.50(w) x 8.60(h) x 0.60(d)
Lexile:	GN270L (what's this?)
Age Range:	7 - 10 Years

About the Author

Brady Smith grew up in Houston, Texas, and attended college at Stephen F. Austin State University, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. He has his own illustration and design company, Brady Smith Creative, and has worked as an actor on shows like Parks and Recreation and Alexa & Katie. Brady has also sold feature scripts, a television pilot, and a children's book, which he has co-authored with his wife, actress Tiffani Thiesen. He currently resides in Los Angeles with his wife, their two children, three pooches, eight chickens, and one fish.

Editorial Reviews

Praise for Louie and Bear in the Land of Anything Goes:

"Louie and Bear is the kind of book I wish I had as a kid! Chicken-headed people, wrestling, giant hamsters…this book has it all! Brady Smith takes us on a wonderful journey that includes pizza ducks, weird monsters, big laughs, and friendship! I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and I know your kids will, too!” – Christopher Eliopoulos, author-illustrator of Cosmic Commandos

From the Publisher

2021-09-15
It’s hard to say which is the most appealing creation in this graphic novel.

The flying heli-phants have propellers on their backs. The high-four trees slap creatures’ palms. The main characters are nearly as interesting. Louie, the new kid in his town, was transformed into a skilled wrestler after he traveled through a magic portal. His hamster, Scooty, who came with him, has grown so large that he asks people to call him Bear. That’s one of the main rules of the Land of Anything Goes: You’re transformed into whatever you were thinking about when you arrived, which means one character has the head of a chicken. (Many characters are animals, but Louie and chicken-headed Cluck appear White; their friend Tooty has light-brown skin and turquoise hair.) Large sections of the story are so wonderfully strange that they’re nearly impossible to describe, but this being a fantasy, there’s a prophecy: Louie will save everyone from the villain. Unfortunately, the book is almost too imaginative. There are too many brawls, too many new creatures, and way too many poop jokes. Déjà vu sets in. But the toilet humor leads to a note of great wisdom. About the cacacapoop (which looks like a hilarious parody of the Jabberwock), Cluck says: “If you name something that’s really scary a funny name, it makes that thing less scary.”

This adventure story may be as exhausting for the readers as for the adventurers. (Graphic adventure. 8-12)

Kirkus Reviews