Pros: Creative illustrations, funny story, familiar cast of five characters, part of collectible series.
Cons: None? Plotline is bizarre, but that's not a con. It's Sci Fi!
The Bottom Line: Tongues are the theme; sticking out, singing, and losing their food. Funny stuff for boys. Good for all elementary self-readers. Nothing offensive.
lisandrea's Full Review: Jane Yolen - Commander Toad and the Big Black Hole
My son randomly grabbed a handful of books off the library shelf. "Here. I want to read these," he declared. There were duplicates in his pile so I narrowed it down to three individual stories--all Jane Yolen Commander Toad books: Big Black Hole, Intergalactic Spy & Planet of the Grapes.
These books are illustrated by Bruce Degen, of "Jamberry" fame, but have more in common, as illustrations, to Frog & Toad's Adventures by Arnold Lobel than they do to the dancing bear & boy in "Jamberry." Degen has a marvelous way of capturing emotions & expressions in his simple line drawings--here, in mostly black & white. He over-protrudes Commander Toad's melodramatic stomach, emphasizes the long mouth of the Commander's right hand Frog, Mr. Hop (think Mr. Spock), and adds a silly element to the ships' physician's personality with a green spiky wig. There is a humorous debate within the story about the difference between frogs & toads--in this particular book it is a question of whether or not toads can sing. Or more particularly, if Commander Toad, himself, can sing! This becomes a critical element of the plot.
If you and/or your spouse are Sci-Fi fans you will delight in the gentle introduction to that world through this series of silly stories that blend the Star Trek & Star Wars worlds together with a bit of Dr. Who thrown in. The three we've read so far teach creative problem-solving and teamwork, while bringing about giggles and silliness for the reader. They are clean, good old-fashioned 22nd Century humor.
This is intended for elementary readers, but is also fun for moms & dads to read aloud to preschool-age boys and up. Our son isn't yet four & he is asking us to read all three each day--then he puts on his space helmet & runs around the house acting out scenes from one of the books. Each book is like a scene...or an episode! ("When we last met our hero, he was...")
Each book begins the same way, with a description of the Commander (think James T. Kirk as a Toad) and his "tip-top, hip-hop crew" (a bit whackier than a Trek crew & not quite as brazen as Hans Solo, but there is a Young Jake Skyjumper thrown in). Star Wars or Star Trek loyalists may be uncomfortable with the mixing metaphors...LOL. It's almost like the layout of a Star Wars intro..."A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away..."
Here, instead, we have an understanding that there are many ships in "starfleet," but, "None is as fast as the one flown by Commander Toad. Brave and bright, bright and brave, Commander Toad." His ship's name? STAR WARTS! Now, that's funny!
"Its mission: to find new worlds, to explore old galaxies, to bring a little bit of Earth out to the alien stars." (Dare we say, "to boldly go where no toad--or frog--has gone before?). Don't over analyze these books for scientific accuracy--they are meant to be fun & funny, so we are letting fuzzy details slip on by that might drive us crazy if portrayed in a Trek episode.
"No, not the universe! The galaxy!!" OK, that's my husband yelling at the TV during a Trek episode from the 90's. He's admittedly a bit of a geek, but you don't have to be to think these books are fun.
Moving on.
Yolen's writing has plenty of puns that only the adult reader will catch, but even elementary readers who enjoy riddles and word play jokes may "get" them here & there. Many movie/TV series allusions abound, although they do not overwhelm the stories. These are unique creations that do more to honor Lucas & Roddenberry than necessarily imitate them.
The book could be studied for its beginning, middle & end in a homeschool setting: who was the antagonist? Who was the protagonist? What is the plot? Who are the characters? And so on. It is well developed in 64 pages that can be read in 15 minutes. Lots jam-packed within!
So, what exactly is a Black Hole? Here, with amphibians as your heroes, a Black Hole is the mouth of a gigantic E.T.T. (or Extra Terrestrial Toad); his tongue protrudes, catches and tries to pull in Star Warts for a tasty Milky Way meal. When the crew tries to solve their dilemma they are without ideas until the Commander tricks the Black Hole Toad into singing a rendition of "Oh, Give me a Home," (called "Oh Give Me A Hole"), and the singing dislodges his "food" (Star Warts), freeing the protagonist & his team from their near doom.
The moral of the story: it's important not to talk with your mouth full! Hey, we all need to learn that lesson, and here's a pretty funny way to get the message across to a boy who might not hear you over the thousands of stories he wants to create at the dinner table. Talking with your mouth full causes the food to fall out--for the shipmates that means meal pills. For the Black Hole Toad it means his captured ship...er, meal!
I "hole"-heartedly recommend this book (& the series) for self-motivated reading for the 7-9 year old, or parent-led reading for the 4-6 age range. Boys, who particularly enjoy squishy, warty humor, will appreciate Degen's drawings--green, brown & orange colors, alone, fill in the mostly B&W illustrations. Bloodshot eyes on the E.T.T., bumpy skin & a slimy tongue are perfectly rendered for a good gross factor.
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