Tales of a Sixth-Grade Muppet

Gr 2—5—This book is not so much a story as it is an advertisement for the recent Muppet movie. Muppets and people coexist without question, and references to the show and its running skits ("Pigs in Space," "Dr. Bob") abound. The plot revolves around Danvers Blickensderfer, who worships The Great Gonzo. He is constantly thinking up outrageous Gonzo-inspired stunts, and most end badly. Disheartened by failure, he wishes he were "just like Gonzo," and with a magical flash of green, his wish is granted: Danvers is turned into a Muppet version of himself. The rest of the story consists of the boy adjusting to Muppethood; meeting and describing all of the main Muppet characters in a series of loosely strung together scenarios; and simultaneously learning lessons about friendship, fame, and being true to oneself. Greatly resembling Jeff Kinney's Diary of a Wimpy Kid (Abrams, 2007) and its subsequent spinoffs, the book features a combination of cartoons, handwritten pages, and text. The Muppet series is known for its sharp wit and hilarious flair for the ridiculous; unfortunately, this book falls flat.—Nicole Waskie-Laura, Chenango Forks Elementary, Binghamton, NY