Kid vs. Squid by Greg van Eekhout is a wacky summer adventure with lots of ocean-themed mayhem. It’s fast-paced and has moments of good humor, but it was also a little hard to follow.
But perhaps the most unforgivable sin of false advertising: The title is Kid vs. Squid and there’s no squid until page 169.
And the kid vs. squid fight barely lasts a chapter.
And it’s not really the kid who fights the squid, but seagulls who do most of the fighting.
Sorry, but Kid vs. Squid sold me on this book. I saw that title and didn’t need to know anything more.
But you have to follow through on that glorious promise. Otherwise it doesn’t matter how good the rest of the book is, you’ve let me down as a reader.
I read this one aloud to my kids and they enjoyed it, though were also disappointed at the lack of squid.