Adventure Down Under

Gr 4—7—Longtime Franco-Belgian comic characters Spirou and Fantasio, globe-trotting journalists forever finding themselves in hot water, journey to Australia in their U.S. debut. Page layouts are traditional and easy to follow—Janry's old-school cartoon style highlights the exaggerated slapstick action. Aboriginal Australians are treated respectfully—at least as respectfully as any of the other characters, who include shady opal prospectors, a daffy French count, and his beleaguered scientific assistant. The humor can be extra-broad: an Aboriginal shaman (shown on the cover) is frequently pictured meditating in midair with both middle fingers upraised. Adventure Down Under was published in France in the 1980s, but shows little signs of age. Tintin and Asterix fans will be drawn to this colorful, fast-paced adventure, and manga fans may go for it, too.—Paula Willey, Baltimore County Public Library, Towson, MD