Klawde: Evil Alien Warlord Cat

Klawde: Evil Alien Warlord Cat
Johnny Marciano & Emily Chenoweth Robb Mommaerts, Illustrator
Penguin Workshop, 2019 223 pages
Grades 2-6
Science Fiction/Humor
Klawde Evil Alien Warlord Cat series #1

Alternating points of view relate the adventures of Klawde, an evil megalomaniac cat from outer space, and his new human, or, as Klawde refers to him, ogre, Raj. Klawde is stripped of his title of Lord High Emperor of the planet Lyttyrboks for being corrupt and cruel and exiled to the uncivilized planet Earth. Once landing on Earth Klawde needs to escape from the pouring rain and get his bearings. Enter Raj, who recently moved to a small town in Oregon from Brooklyn and is not happy. He is instantly cheered, however, to find Klawde meowing on his doormat. His parents, hoping to help their only child adjust to their new home, agree to let him keep Klawde, only the new pet is anything but docile. Despite clawing the entire family and making a mess of the new abode, Raj loves Klawde and he becomes part of the family. Meanwhile, Raj is forced to attend Nature Camp, where a crazed councilor leads the campers in activities of Hunger Games proportions. As Klawde ransacks Raj's new house looking for supplies to transport himself back to his home planet, the two become friends. Will Klawde make it back to Lyttyrboks? Will Raj survive Nature Camp? All will be revealed as this series opener rolls along to its hilarious conclusion.

Marciano and Chenoweth introduce a brand new heavily-illustrated series just right for the Captain Underpants crowd. The different takes on the same situation from Klawde’s evil point of view and sweet and innocent Raj’s, as well as the hilarious plot scenarios, will get readers giggling. Black and white with blue highlighted cartoon illustrations will further tickle the funny bone and add to the humor. Over the top? Maybe. Implausible? Most certainly, but this is exactly what the intended audience wants. To the author's credit, the humor in the book does not depend entirely on bathroom humor and contains truly funny bits. Also, since Klawde is a sophisticated cat, his vocabulary is a bit advanced, encouraging readers to pick up a few new words and they chuckle. It is refreshing to see a boy of Indian decent as the main character and not thrown in as a sidekick. Many of my readers will see themselves reflected in this character and will applaud the book all the more. Both voices are written completely distinctively and readers will have absolutely no problem discerning who is narrating. The action never stops and the chapters are short with cliff hangers, demanding that the book not be put down. Kids will read it in one setting and clamor for the next installment. Lucky for them number two, Enemies, was released simultaneously with two more volumes coming soon.