John Bemelmans Marciano

A fun little book about how names(of places) became words and words became names (of places). I sometimes wondered if the author was playing with the reader, if the brief stories behind these entries were invented or real. But then again, you know what they say about truth being stranger than fiction. The author at least has a great sense of humour. For each entry, he begins with a short, pithy *definition* then goes on to reveal the history. Here are a couple of examples:

In the section on show more names of animal breeds: Lhasa apso - Another dog with a long-held religious gig is this terrier from the Tibetan capital of Lhasa, a breed that has been sounding the alarm in Buddhist temples since 800 BC (which is 17,660 BC in dog years)

He has another section on food: ...Hamburgers were once called Hamburg steaks, after the city in Germany, while French fries evolved from French frieds, short for French fried potatoes. Both underwent wartime renaming, the former called Liberty Steaks during World War I (mostly out of patriotism) and the latter called Freedom Fries at the onset of the Second Gulf War (mostly out of stupidity).

Anyhow, it's an entertaining and relatively quick read, if you enjoy language and etymology. The book is also sprinkled with fun illustrated maps. show less

The story opens with the redoubtable tyrant, General Wyss-Kuzz, betrayed and sentenced to exile in a terrifying alien world... otherwise known as earth, specifically Elba, Oregon. He's not the only exile, although he's certainly the most outraged; Raj has been forced to move from his cool apartment in New York, his best friends, and handy pizza and comics. To add insult to injury, his parents sign him up for wilderness survival camp! On the bright side, he's just found a stray cat. That... show more can talk?

The chapters alternate between Wyss-Kuzz (or Klawde, as he is now known) and Raj. Klawde has many outraged pronouncements on the indignities visited upon him by the strange troll-creatures of earth, details his attempts to raise an army, and reluctantly admits his growing admiration for Raj. Ok, maybe "tolerance" is a better word. Raj, meanwhile, is exuberantly fond of his first-ever pet, and hopeful about the possibilities of making friends, although the weirder the camp counselor and other kids he meets get, the more nervous he is about survival night - especially since he's not sure he will survive!

The second title, Enemies, increases the parallels between Klawde and Raj. Klawde, betrayed by, well, he doesn't have friends so let's say a general previously thought to be loyal, and Raj, already unbalanced by attending a new school and now forced to meet an old "friend" who he had a huge fight with before leaving New York, are both off their game. Klawde works hard to battle an old enemy, recruit new soldiers and maintain their loyalty, and uphold the great traditions of his planet. Raj, on the other hand, alternates between anger and humiliation at his erstwhile friend's behavior and finally, just when he's decided to take the high ground and resist showing up his friend, Klawde plays an unexpected role. Both Raj and Klawde have unexpected, if not entirely happy, endings and the stage is set for another wacky adventure.

Spot illustrations in shades of blue and black show a scruffy, decidedly un-fluffy cat, the hapless Raj, and his motley crew of friends and enemies and they scramble their way through their adventures. It's not a beginning chapter book persay, more of a lower middle grade title. It will appeal to fluent readers in 2nd grade up to about 4th grade. Yes, the kids are in middle school but it's really written for a younger audience.

Verdict: This will appeal to readers who like Captain Underpants and Wimpy Kid-style humor, although Raj is a much nicer character and shows moral growth despite his somewhat difficult situations. Readers will need a fairly high tolerance for goofiness of the "Planet Lyttyrboks" style of humor. Hand this to readers who like Binky the space cat and Dragonbreath.

Klawde: Evil Alien Warlord Cat
ISBN: 9781524787202
Klawde: Enemies
ISBN: 9781524787226

Published February 2019 by Penguin Workshop; Review copies provided by publisher; Donated to the library show less

The story opens with the redoubtable tyrant, General Wyss-Kuzz, betrayed and sentenced to exile in a terrifying alien world... otherwise known as earth, specifically Elba, Oregon. He's not the only exile, although he's certainly the most outraged; Raj has been forced to move from his cool apartment in New York, his best friends, and handy pizza and comics. To add insult to injury, his parents sign him up for wilderness survival camp! On the bright side, he's just found a stray cat. That... show more can talk?

The chapters alternate between Wyss-Kuzz (or Klawde, as he is now known) and Raj. Klawde has many outraged pronouncements on the indignities visited upon him by the strange troll-creatures of earth, details his attempts to raise an army, and reluctantly admits his growing admiration for Raj. Ok, maybe "tolerance" is a better word. Raj, meanwhile, is exuberantly fond of his first-ever pet, and hopeful about the possibilities of making friends, although the weirder the camp counselor and other kids he meets get, the more nervous he is about survival night - especially since he's not sure he will survive!

The second title, Enemies, increases the parallels between Klawde and Raj. Klawde, betrayed by, well, he doesn't have friends so let's say a general previously thought to be loyal, and Raj, already unbalanced by attending a new school and now forced to meet an old "friend" who he had a huge fight with before leaving New York, are both off their game. Klawde works hard to battle an old enemy, recruit new soldiers and maintain their loyalty, and uphold the great traditions of his planet. Raj, on the other hand, alternates between anger and humiliation at his erstwhile friend's behavior and finally, just when he's decided to take the high ground and resist showing up his friend, Klawde plays an unexpected role. Both Raj and Klawde have unexpected, if not entirely happy, endings and the stage is set for another wacky adventure.

Spot illustrations in shades of blue and black show a scruffy, decidedly un-fluffy cat, the hapless Raj, and his motley crew of friends and enemies and they scramble their way through their adventures. It's not a beginning chapter book persay, more of a lower middle grade title. It will appeal to fluent readers in 2nd grade up to about 4th grade. Yes, the kids are in middle school but it's really written for a younger audience.

Verdict: This will appeal to readers who like Captain Underpants and Wimpy Kid-style humor, although Raj is a much nicer character and shows moral growth despite his somewhat difficult situations. Readers will need a fairly high tolerance for goofiness of the "Planet Lyttyrboks" style of humor. Hand this to readers who like Binky the space cat and Dragonbreath.

Klawde: Evil Alien Warlord Cat
ISBN: 9781524787202
Klawde: Enemies
ISBN: 9781524787226

Published February 2019 by Penguin Workshop; Review copies provided by publisher; Donated to the library show less

Klawde is back and will stop at nothing to become the Emperor of the Universe even if it means joining GAG. He does so and hilarity ensues as he comes up against Ffangg. But will he be crowned Emperor of the Universe?

I love Klawde. I never expected what happened in this book. I loved how Raj and his dad miss Klawde when he goes to become the Emperor. I also love how Raj has to help out. I like the bigger role of Floofee. I also liked Newt working with Raj on a school project--nothing like I show more would expect of her. This is so much and I breathlessly await the sequel. show less