Anh Do (text) and Anton Emdin (illustrator), JJ and the Giant Panther (Smarty Pup #2), Allen & Unwin, April 2023, 160 pp., RRP $15.99 (pbk), ISBN 9781761068720
Ready or not, here we come!
With an opening line like this, there is no doubt the reader is heading into a fun, action-packed story.
JJ is back, the ordinary dog turned genius after being struck by mysterious purple goop that fell from the sky. In this installment, JJ is allowed to attend the school excursion to Camp Pinecone with Lily and Timmy. All attendees are grouped in threes and set challenges that aim to reveal who is the bravest of all. JJ is absolutely confident he is the one… he will definitely win the Camp Pinecone Bravery Award, no doubt about it. Lily and Timmy are less confident and believe they come up short in the bravery department. It is not until JJ spots a ferocious panther that he succumbs to fear. Lily and Timmy must step up and fight against their fears to support JJ and get through the challenges. But will it be enough to win the Bravery Award? And is there really a panther stalking them?
This is another easily consumed book from Anh Do and Anton Emdin and there will be surely more of this Smarty Pup Series. The silly jokes scattered throughout will keep young readers entertained and will surely be repeated in school playgrounds and at dinner tables… I don’t trust these trees… they seem shady; What do you call a bird that’s afraid of heights? A chicken.
The illustrations are bright and comic-strip like and they enhance the storyline providing additional details for perceptive readers. Paired with cheeky speech bubbles and numerous font changes, the visual aspects of this instalment are highly appealing to young readers.
To further entice readers, a lenticular cover and a page of stickers are included, as well as several reviews by children and mothers on the insides of both the front and back cover.
Reviewed by Katie Mineeff
