King of the Mole People

King of the Mole People
Paul Gilligan
Holt/Macmillan, 2019 247 pages
Grades 3-6
Humor/Graphic Hybrid

Our story begins with our hero, Doug Underbelly, on stage with the most popular girl in school when all of the sudden a giant worms pushes through the boards to the horrification of the audience. This sets the scene for what is to come. Doug has been crowned the "King of the Mole People" and as such must go to the underground kingdom whenever summoned to help solve the problems of these strange creatures. Doug has enough troubles fitting in without being forced underground in the muck and mold. He has one reluctant friend and is the punching bag for the school bullies. Even class weirdo, Magda, Makes fun of him. The Mole People understand his frustrations and try to help their king in his quest for popularity. Kids in school start to disappear and not show up for activities. This helps Doug rise to the top of the all of the activities he's attempting to get involved with, as he finds himself kicking the winning goal and landing the lead in the school play. Unfortunately, his victories are not of his own accomplishments, as his Mole friends are found to be involved in the disappearances. Life gets trickier as the Moles get into a war with the Slugs and Doug loses his crown to his megalomaniac adviser. He must team up with Magda to help his underground friends out, even if he would rather not be involved. Does Doug have what it takes to save the day?

At first glance this book seems like another fairly stupid graphic hybrid written to attract reluctant boy readers. Yes, there is potty humor and lots of gross mud and slime, but this silly book is a cut above the usual fare written for this audience. Even though there are plenty of comic-style illustrations, there is more text, almost tricking kids into reading more than they bargained for. The vocabulary is surprisingly advanced and readers may pick up a new word or two without realizing it. Yes, the plot involves helping save the civilization of the Mole People, but there are underlining themes of loyalty, friendship, being true to yourself and accepting others who may be different. Doug is a boy who lives next to a graveyard with an eccentric father. As much as he tries to be like all of the other kids, he is unique to himself, which can be difficult as a kid. Luckily, he finds a reluctant friend in Magda. It’s always easier to march to the beat of your own drummer if you have a buddy to march alongside you. Parts of the book are genuinely funny and the target audience will eat this title right up. The illustrations are well drawn and assist in the narration instead of being primarily decorative. The ending leads to a possible sequel--and then maybe a series. Give to the Big Nate/Wimpy Kid crowd for a sure-fire hit.