Sardine in Outer Space

Sardine in Outer Space

In the goofy space adventures of a little girl called Sardine, encounters aren't always friendly: weird creatures, cosmic squids, masters of the universe, talking clouds, and evil beings abound. In this volume of twelve stories, Supermuscleman, the chief executive dictator of the universe, is on a mission to make all the galaxy's kids behave. Sardine must enlist the help of her cousin Lou and her pirate uncle, the gruff Captain Yellow Shoulder, to outwit him and his evil plans. The first book in an exciting new series by two of France's most talented comics authors, Sardine is a feast for the imagination of young readers. Emmanuel Guibert, an outstanding artist and graphic storyteller, takes a turn on the script, while Joann Sfar illuminates the writing with rambunctious, high-energy artwork. Grade 4-7–Sardine is the sprightly, swashbuckling niece of Captain Yellow Shoulder, a galactic pirate who saves children from orphanages run by a costume-wearing villain (Supermuscleman). Twelve chapters each contain a short adventure, as Sardine and her cousin Little Louie fight Supermuscleman and his Assistant, Doc Krok, as well as various aliens, creatures, and robots. The artwork is scratchy and primitive, but also contains the sort of raw, grotesque sensibility that so often clicks with young readers. Tentacles, poisons, and gloopy substances are exhibited in abundance, as is Supermuscleman's rear end, and despite Yellow Shoulder's vast musculature, it is petite Sardine who usually ends up saving the day. Occasional puns and cultural references are sophisticated (e.g., a trio of clouds made from beer, wine, and rum take their names from Dumas's Three Musketeers; the youngsters play a video game called No-Child-Left-Behind-School II), but most of the dramatic situations are comical enough to be appreciated by the intended audience. –Benjamin Russell, The Derryfield School, Manchester, NH Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Gr. 3-5. Sword fighting her way through this French paean to disobedience is tiny space-pirate Sardine, all long red hair and giant blue hat, who cruises in her spaceship Huckleberry with Uncle Yellow Shoulder and friend Little Louie. Their mission: to oppose Supermuscleman, the mustachioed tyrant of a space orphanage where children are taught "proper behavior." In 12 whirlwind tales filled with comic battles and clever escapes, the heroes foil the villain's plans, exposing themselves to the dangers of space lions, ice-cream shops, and video games. The disobedience stays largely within reason, and Uncle Yellow appears to have as many rules for his wards as the space orphanage does. But Uncle Yellow is still a big, burly pirate, which makes for a free-wheeling ride peppered with as much grisly monster-filleting action and bodily fluid humor as a young reader could want. Sfar's off-kilter, slightly uglified art, reminiscent of a toned-down Beavis and Butthead, gives the simple fun an unusual punch. Jesse Karp Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved “Gr. 3-5. Sword fighting her way through this French paean to disobedience is tiny space-pirate Sardine, all long red hair and giant blue hat, who cruises in her spaceship Huckleberry with Uncle Yellow Shoulder and friend Little Louie. Their mission: to oppose Supermuscleman, the mustachioed tyrant of a space orphanage where children are taught "proper behavior." In 12 whirlwind tales filled with comic battles and clever escapes, the heroes foil the villain's plans, exposing themselves to the dangers of space lions, ice-cream shops, and video games. The disobedience stays largely within reason, and Uncle Yellow appears to have as many rules and cautions for his wards as the space orphanage does. But Uncle Yellow is a big, burly pirate, and there is a distinct lack of chores in space, which makes for a free-wheeling ride peppered with as much grisly monster-filleting action and bodily fluid humor as a young reader could want. Sfar's off-kilter, slightly uglified art, reminiscent of a toned-down Beavis and Butthead, gives the simple fun an unusual punch. ” ― Booklist “Taking a seat in first class aboard the graphic-novels-for-preteens train, this import features a carrot-topped lass who travels the starways with her piratical uncle Yellow Shoulders, foiling the plots of Supermuscleman, nefarious Chief Executive Dictator of the Universe. Presented in small sequential panels of brightly hued cartoon art and spacious dialogue ballons, Sardine's adventures take her from the space prison Azkatraz to Planet Discoball (for a dance contest presided over by Empress Laser Diskette and her offspring, Prince Beejeez), from encounters with deadly, as well as thoroughly nerve-wracking Honkfish to a deliciously violent round of "No-Child-Left-Behind-School II," a virtual game. With nonstop action, humor geared to multiple levels of cultural awareness and the promise of more episo