The Epic Adventures of Huggie & Stick

by Drew Daywalt (Author) David Spencer (Illustrator)

Reading Level: 2nd − 3rd Grade
★ "A surefire read-aloud for any wannabe hero." --Booklist (starred review)From Drew Daywalt, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Day the Crayons Quit, comes a hilarious buddy-comedy picture book starring a grouchy stuffed bunny and a happy-go-lucky stick. When super cheerful Stick and grumpy stuffed bunny Huggie get thrown from a backpack, the adventure is on! Together this odd couple survives encounters with sea-faring pirates, raging rhinos in Africa, sword-wielding royalty in Europe, stick-eating panda bears in Asia, sharks in Australia, hungry penguins in Antarctica, and piranhas in South America--all before finally making it home to North America. A fantastically funny read-aloud about two unlikely friends and their epic journey around the world.
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Publishers Weekly

Following their tumble from Reese's backpack, Huggie, a worn and curmudgeonly stuffed rabbit, and Stick, an optimistic branch, embark on a weeklong adventure that spans all seven continents. Diary entries written by each traveler tell the story, and their wildly different personalities become clear. Stick is perpetually positive, seeing the best in every situation: while hitching a ride with a kangaroo ("a giant mouse with a POCKET on her tummy") in Australia, Stick breaks his companion's fall when he slips out of the pocket, writing "Thank goodness I was there or he could have been hurt!" Huggie's entry, written on a bandage wrapper, isn't quite so rosy: "Dear Diary, There's a stick up my butt." Debuting illustrator Spencer's cartoonish illustrations pair well with Daywalt's text of two travelers, heightening the characters' incongruity through facial expressions and body language (while walking the plank, Stick smiles wide, tucking into cannonball position as he jumps, while Huggie fiercely glares back at the pirates). Beyond the silly, the book promotes neither perspective as "right"--whether grumpy or gleeful, both characters' ways are valid. Ages 4-8. Author's agent: Steven Malk, Writers House. Illustrator's agent: John Cusick, Folio Jr./Folio Literary Management. (Oct.)

Copyright 2018 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

School Library Journal

K-Gr 2--Huggie, a blue stuffed rabbit, and the appropriately named Stick spend most of their time in Reese's backpack. But an unfortunate circumstance sends them both tumbling out of the satchel and into the ocean. Now the pair must travel across all of the continents to get back to their owner. Much like Daywalt's wildly popular The Day the Crayons Quit, this story is told through a series of letters or journal entries, with Stick giving an overly optimistic view of their day's adventure, followed by Huggie's less glowing take on what really happened. For example, on their stop in Africa, Stick comments on how much fun it was to be in a race, and how nice it was for a giant fish to offer them a ride in its mouth. Huggie clarifies on the following page that they were chased by a rhino, they jumped into the ocean to escape, and then were swallowed by a shark. This pattern is followed throughout, which may make it feel repetitive, though it is hilarious to see what new calamites have befallen the two. Spencer's illustrations are sharp and polished, while his cartoon-heavy character design keeps the tone comedic. VERDICT A strong addition.--Peter Blenski, Greenfield Public Library, WI

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

 
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9780399172762
Lexile Measure
660
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Philomel Books
Publication date
October 23, 2018
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV039060 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Friendship
JUV019000 - Juvenile Fiction | Humorous Stories
JUV068000 - Juvenile Fiction | Travel
Library of Congress categories
Toys
Adventure and adventurers
Diaries
Twigs

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