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Squish #1: Super Amoeba (2011)

by Jennifer L. Holm(Favorite Author)

3.89 of 5 Votes: 4

ISBN

0375937838 (ISBN13: 9780375937835)

languge

English

genre

Fantasy

publisher

Random House Books for Young Readers

series

Squish

review 1: Parents need to know that this is the first entry in a graphic novel about an amoeba and his friends. A mean bully does try to eat Squish's friend Peggy -- but she is a paramecium, and something that amoebas eat. Later, the same bully is eaten by a slime mold. Also, Squish reads Super Amoeba comic books, which have some good guy versus bad guy stuff. This book's graphic novel format makes it a good choice for reluctant readers, and kids do learn some science -- including some facts about amoebas. Mostly, this is funny stuff, but there is a good message, too: Squish may read comic books in class and let a school bully cheat off him, but he is inspired by his comic book hero "to have the courage to do what's right" -- and tries to save the life of his friend.Educational valu... moreeThis book's graphic novel format makes it a good choice for reluctant readers, and kids do learn some science -- including some facts about amoebas. After the story finishes, there are instructions for how to grow mold, and how to draw Squish.Positive messagesSquish may read comic books in class and let a school bully cheat off him, but he is inspired by his comic book hero "to have the courage to do what's right." Positive role modelsSquish is a good friend to both Pod and Peggy. He prevents Peggy from being eaten, and later asks for his dad's advice about how to handle a bully. Violence & scarinessA mean bully does try to eat Peggy -- but she is a paramecium, and that's what amoeba eat. Later, the bully is eaten by a slime mold. Squish must face the same bully who wants to cheat off of him in class. He also reads Super Amoeba comic books, which have some good guy versus bad guy stuff.This is from commonsensemedia.orgBooklist (March 15, 2011 (Vol. 107, No. 14))Grades 3-5. The Holm siblings (of Babymouse fame) start a new series of humorous school stories, this time featuring amoebas and other single-celled creatures. Squish prefers to spend his time reading comic books starring Super Amoeba but has to attend elementary school with his friends Pod, who’s a bit of a mooch, and Peggy, who’s always happy and a bit naive. There they face a bit more danger from bullies than most: Lynwood has a bad habit of eating paramecia, such as Peggy. Young readers will relate to the everyday misadventures of getting detention for being tardy, trading school lunches, dealing with bullies, and taking tests. They’ll also enjoy the way the amoebas chow down on tacos, read comic books, and generally act like kids. The black, white, and green art makes amoebas look, for the most part, cute, while the narrative and comments directed to the reader appear in green-tinted, arrowed boxes. Squish may appeal more to boys than girls, but any fans of the Holms’ superpopular other series are likely to enjoy this new offering.Horn Book (Fall 2011)The brother-sister team behind Babymouse presents a brand-new graphic novel series starring Squish, a young amoeba. In his first outing, Squish channels his comic-book hero, Super Amoeba, to confront a bully. The Holms' characteristic humor--offbeat and snarky--comes through in both the text and lime-green-tinged illustrations. And yes, setting real-kid issues in a microscopic world works remarkably well.Kirkus Reviews starred (April 1, 2011)The hilarious misadventures of a hapless young everylad who happens to be an amoeba. Countering the (perceived, at least) girliness of their Babymouse series, the talented Holms turn to the microbial world for new graphic material. Like his revered comics hero, Super Amoeba, blobby Squish is determined to "do what's right." This turns out to be relatively easy when it's his mooching buddy Pod suckering him into switching lunches or his relentlessly cheery classmate Peggy the paramecium (her every utterance trailed by a line of exclamation points!!!!!) begging him to come over after school to meet her new slime mold Fluffy. It's a lot harder when brutish bully Lynwood callously envelops and begins to digest the seemingly doomed Peggy for a snack. The siblings draw it Babymouse-style in thick lined cartoon panels with garish green highlights and dialogue balloons. Plenty of helpful arrows point out significant anatomical details ("Pseudopods") or offer snarky side comments. The episode zips along to a climactic ugly (but just) surprise for Lynwood, then closes with an easily doable prank/science project involving a moistened slice of bread. If ever a new series deserved to go viral, this one does.(Graphic novel. 7-9)Library Media Connection (October 2011)From the creators of bubble-gum pink Babymouse comes a new series on the pond, er-actually, in the pond. The characters are single cell organisms-Squish (the hero) and his best friend Pod are both good amoebas, along with their super smiley friend Peggy the paramecium. The bad guys include the school bully Lynwood, also an amoeba, a paramecium-eating amoeba. Squish loves comic books and his favorite, Super Amoeba, teaches him courage. Peggy's pet slime mold Fluffy inadvertently saves the day. This charming story, with great illustrations in pond scum green, will delight, amuse, and possibly convert Babymouse fans. The authors hit the coveted boy trifecta of super heroes, graphic novels, and grossness! Colleen D. Sadowski, Director of School Library System & Media Services, Rochester, New York. RECOMMENDEDPublishers Weekly (April 4, 2011)For a single-celled organism, Squish the amoeba leads an awfully complicated existence. His two best friends-Pod, a bowtie-wearing amoeba nerd, and Peggy, a pathologically cheerful paramecium-are a constant thorn in his side; he just can't seem to make it to school in time; and Lynwood the school bully wants to swallow him whole. When yet another bout of tardiness lands the whole group in detention, Squish is faced with a full-blown moral dilemma: in order to save Peggy from becoming Lynwood's next between-meal snack, he has to let the big bully copy his next science test. Can even our precocious protozoan hero get himself out of this one? The Holms strike a breezy, goofy tone right out of the gate, and Squish is a likably put-upon lead character, but beyond him the book doesn't offer much; his pals are annoying and the villain has as many dimensions as he has cells (that is, one). Add to that a disappointing two-color palette, and the whole undertaking seems flatter than a microscope slide. Squish may be an amorphous blob, but he needs to whip his supporting cast into shape for issue two. Ages 7-10. (May) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.School Library Journal (July 1, 2011)Gr 2-4-The creators of "Babymouse" (Random) return with the more boy-centric Squish. He lives in a world that is a microscopic facsimile of our own. The only difference is that everyone is an amoeba, including his best friends, nerdy Pod and relentlessly chipper Peggy. Squish faces a dilemma when the school bully wants to copy off his science test. The menacing amoeba even threatens to eat Peggy if he doesn't get his way. Squish fantasizes about dealing with the problem like Super Amoeba, the hero of his favorite comic book, who always has the "courage to do what's right." While the conclusion is a bit abrupt, it will likely generate laughs and leave readers ready for the next installment. Characters are mostly types, with a clear focus on laughs and moving the plot along. The loose, inky cartoon illustrations are bathed in shades of lime green. Panel layouts are simple and clear, ensuring first-time graphic-novel readers a smooth ride. Likable and entertaining, Super Amoeba will be super popular.-Travis Jonker, Dorr Elementary School, MI (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
review 2: Super Amoeba (Squish, #1) is a graphic novel by Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm. It is the first graphic novel in a series of four. It tells about the main character, Squish, who is an amoeba trying to do the right thing at school. Overall, I liked this book. It actually made me laugh a few times, which surprised me because it is intended for kids. The three main characters (Squish, Pod, and Peggy) all have very different personalities and make for an entertaining group of friends. I liked that throughout the book there are some educational facts. For example, it tells you that amoeba reproduce by splitting and that they eat paramecia. One thing I didn't love is that the only colors in the book are black, white, gray, and green. I would've enjoyed it more if there had been more colors. This is a book I would recommend to my future students to read in their free time because it is pretty funny. less

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