Gr 2–4—Arnie the doughnut returns in a "who-donut" chapter book that will appeal to fans of Dav Pilkey's "Captain Underpants" (Scholastic) and Lincoln Peirce's "Big Nate" (HarperCollins) series. Iced with chocolate and covered with sprinkles, the "doughnut dog" catches readers up-to-date since he debuted in his own picture book,
Arnie the Doughnut (Holt, 2003). The first chapter recaps how he became a doughnut dog and beloved friend to Mr. Bing, who instead of eating Arnie decides to adopt him as his pet. Readers then follow adventures that occur during Arnie's favorite Tuesday-night outings to the bowling alley with Mr. Bing and his buddies. Comic-style drawings fill the pages, providing abundant humor and tons of spoofy comedy for reluctant readers. Children will stay engaged as Arnie and friends try to discover why Mr. Bing keeps throwing gutter balls during the tournament when he usually is a high-scoring bowler. Does the opposing team, the Yada-Yadas, have something to do with it? With zany, quirky characters (talking pizza, break-dancing bowling pins, animated shoes) and a fast-paced, silly story line, the book will have readers looking for Arnie and Mr. Bing's next adventure.—
Melissa Smith, Royal Oak Public Library, MIThe lively format, evident even on the front cover, will keep readers engaged. Arnie’s narrative, bold-text exclamations, and witty dialogue bubbles with a liberal sprinkling of puns (Arnie’s signature karaoke song is “Doughnut make my brown eyes blue”) are all used to tell the appealing story. Exuberant artwork matches the series opener’s upbeat tone. Laurie Keller’s charming illustrations introduce characters such as Peezo, Arnie’s pizza-slice friend, and a cast of animated bowling balls, pins, and “smelly” rental shoes (“It’s true! We stink!” one shoe cheerfully pipes up). Includes plentiful kid-friendly humor. For example, Arnie the doughnut-dog winks at the reader from behind a small mound on the street while Mr. Bing desperately tries to explain to a ticket-writing officer: “It’s not what you think—it’s just FROSTING!”
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