InvestiGators (Book 1), by John Patrick Green

(Hardback, 208 pages, first published in 2020)

With more than three million copies in print, John Patrick Green's goofy graphic novel series is a colossal comics hit! Join super spy alligator duo MANGO and BRASH as they surf the sewers and fight the forces of evil.

With their Very Exciting Spy Technology and their tried-and-true, toilet-based travel techniques, the InvestiGators are undercover and on the case! And on their first mission together, they have not one but two mysteries to solve! Can Mango and Brash uncover the clues, crack their cases, and corral the crooks―or will the criminals wriggle out of their grasp?

Considerations: This reviewer and her son laughed out loud too many times to count while reading this graphic novel. It is so filled with hilarious puns and callbacks, as well as unexpected cultural references that will go over kids' heads but still make them laugh. For all its kid "curb appeal," we noted only two instance of very slight potty humor, delivered as maturely as possible (one in discussing the alligators' method of travel which is through the city's sewer system, another tongue-in-cheek reference to poop emoji). Also note, one character briefly suggests in passing that an event has occurred because of a curse (but it has not).

Recommended Age: 6-10