The over-the-top lowriders Lupe, Elirio, and Flapjack are back with their gato, Genie. This nostalgic journey back in time chronicles, in parallel stories, the moment the lives of the then escuincles--pipsqueaks--first intersected. They join together to help Lupe's two mothers enter a car show, but Mamá Impala and Mamá Gazelle need the approval of the hosting car club. The bullies controlling the entire show, Los Matamoscas, make up arbitrary rules to keep the women out because everyone knows car clubs are for los machos. Lupe's moms' car must clear speed bumps without scraping, they must keep a 5-gallon jar of agua fresca from spilling while taking an entire lap, and any visible brush strokes on the paint job are grounds for disqualification. All is saved by Elirio's pointy proboscis, Lupe's quick thinking, and Flapjack's slurping capacity. Raúl the Third's signature style again frenetically populates the sepia pages with eye-catching detail that highlights lowrider humor and culture. Camper's story, however, trips, snags, and hitches on too many densely worded moments of exposition. These asides, such as the recognition of Indigenous words in modern languages and the contributions of the art collective Asco, would have been more appropriately placed in the backmatter (where they are discussed again anyway) rather than in the middle of the narrative. Also, some scenes are unnecessarily drawn out, as in the case of the opening five and a half pages of gratuitous flatulence. Despite the meandering storyline, fans of the two previous slapstick adventures will eagerly welcome back Lupe and the gang's Spanish-infused exploits. (glossary, author's notes, sources) (Graphic adventure. 9-14)
COPYRIGHT(2018) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. (Online Review)
November 15, 2018
Grades 3-6 Elirio, El Chavo, and Lupe have flown to space and ventured to the underworld in their ingenious lowrider, but how did they first meet? This installment in Camper and Ra�l the Third's effervescent, street art-�inspired series reveals the fortuitous occasion of the car show at which they first put their skills to the test. A boorish car club, Los Matamoscas, merciless teases Elirio, El Chavo, and Lupe, but when they underhandedly try to keep Lupe's moms from entering the car show ( Car clubs are for men. Sorry chicas ), it's the last straw. Fans of the first two series installments will be delighted to find the same upbeat tone and adventurous plots, and Ra�l the Third's artwork is at its best: exaggerated perspectives make cars and words pop off the page, the grotesque bullies' appearances match their foul behavior, and Elirio's bold, beautifully designed murals pay homage to the muralists who inspired Ra�l the Third. Discussions of indigenous languages, a gentle dose of physics, and a compassionate message about bullying give this cartoonish adventure some meaningful depth, too.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)
January 1, 2019
Elirio, a mosquito with artistic talent, and his friends, an impala and an octopus, share a love of lowrider cars and have mutual bullies--members of a car club known as Los Matamoscas. Spanish words (and their translations) are sprinkled throughout this humorous graphic novel about lowrider culture, friendship, and standing up for oneself. Razl the Third's distinctive pen drawings burst with energy and visual gags. Bib., glos.
(Copyright 2019 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)
The over-the-top lowriders Lupe, Elirio, and Flapjack are back with their gato, Genie. This nostalgic journey back in time chronicles, in parallel stories, the moment the lives of the then escuincles--pipsqueaks--first intersected. They join together to help Lupe's two mothers enter a car show, but Mam� Impala and Mam� Gazelle need the approval of the hosting car club. The bullies controlling the entire show, Los Matamoscas, make up arbitrary rules to keep the women out because everyone knows car clubs are for los machos. Lupe's moms' car must clear speed bumps without scraping, they must keep a 5-gallon jar of agua fresca from spilling while taking an entire lap, and any visible brush strokes on the paint job are grounds for disqualification. All is saved by Elirio's pointy proboscis, Lupe's quick thinking, and Flapjack's slurping capacity. Ra�l the Third's signature style again frenetically populates the sepia pages with eye-catching detail that highlights lowrider humor and culture. Camper's story, however, trips, snags, and hitches on too many densely worded moments of exposition. These asides, such as the recognition of Indigenous words in modern languages and the contributions of the art collective Asco, would have been more appropriately placed in the backmatter (where they are discussed again anyway) rather than in the middle of the narrative. Also, some scenes are unnecessarily drawn out, as in the case of the opening five and a half pages of gratuitous flatulence. Despite the meandering storyline, fans of the two previous slapstick adventures will eagerly welcome back Lupe and the gang's Spanish-infused exploits. (glossary, author's notes, sources) (Graphic adventure. 9-14)
COPYRIGHT(2018) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. (Online Review)