Jimmy’s Elbow

K-Gr 4–Jimmy is a serious kid, which you can tell by the tie he wears, as he constantly reminds us. But when he hits his elbow hard on a table, his elbow comes to life. Or dies and becomes a ghost? Who knows! It’s weird, and that’s the point! It’s perhaps unhelpful to compare anything to the “Dog Man” series, but kids who enjoy the absurdist, if random, humor of those books will definitely enjoy this one. A lack of action or story might dissuade some readers, but that’s arguably part of the joke. Even Jimmy seems to abandon the plot of the book by playing with Soupy Boy Action Man, an action figure that ironically can’t bend his elbows. But having no elbows makes him unbendable, much like the American spirit, as Jimmy also likes to remind readers. It’s random, it’s odd, and it’s hilarious. Kochalka’s art style matches the off-kilter story, with chunky outlining and bright colors with minimal backgrounds to add to the humor. Simple word choice might make this a favorite of reluctant readers.