In Wolfie Monster and the Big Bad Pizza Battle Wolfie and his family must decide whether to sell their pizza parlor to a corporation that has just moved to town. They soon discover that this new pizza competitor, Happy Leaf, may not be as happy as its name implies. Can they foil an evil scheme that threatens their business and their entire hometown?

This story is full of the kind of silliness that many children enjoy. However, the story is so random and jumps around so much that even the silliest-loving of children may become frustrated with it. The main character, Wolfie Monster, in particular is exceedingly stupid. While this is obviously meant to be comic, it doesn’t really come off that way because he is so unbelievably stupid that it doesn’t make sense. Far from filling the role of a stereotypical comic fool and adding some laughs, this character seems to go too far, to almost poke fun at people who actually have mental impairments. It doesn’t seem that this was the author’s intent, but it comes across that way to the point that it’s embarrassing to read.

The story does have several positive elements however. The artwork, in particular, is colorful and engaging. The action is depicted well through the narrative and through the illustration. Protagonist characters behave in selfless ways in several instances and risk peril to help others who need their help. The story is creative, even if random.

One gem in the book is the inclusion of a “how to draw” section at the back in which the illustrator shows step-by-step how to draw several of the primary characters. This will appeal to children, particularly ones who enjoy art and drawing, and it really adds to the book as a whole.

On the whole, this isn’t a book I would go out of my way to point out to kids as a good read, but a kid who is just looking for a quick, light read with some laughs should find it enjoyable.

This book was sent to Compass Book Ratings for review by Scholastic

Content Analysis:

Profanity/Language:  None

Violence/Gore: Characters collide, knocking each other down; a character plays too rough with a friend; several instances of comic property damage such as knocked down walls; a character threatens to stomp others with a giant robot; a character punches another; a character swallows another whole; characters shoot attacks at others to turn them into zombies; a fight between characters in giant robo-suits; a few robots are destroyed; a few buildings are destroyed.

Sex/Nudity:  None

Mature Subject Matter:

Corporate corruption; kidnapping; characters eat old/spoiled food, and this is depicted as a good thing.

Alcohol / Drug Use:

None