Heroes by a Hair (Link + Hud #1)

In this hilarious illustrated novel, young brothers Lincoln and Hudson Dupré love turning simple tasks and daily chores into vivid make-believe scenarios that have them “hooting and hollering”; one scene involves them imagining garage cleanup duty as a Himalayan expedition in search of yetis. Their antics, which leave a string of beleaguered babysitters in their wake, frustrate their parents, who rely on outside childcare to balance family matters with their careers. Then the Duprés hire elderly, bespectacled Ms. Joyce, a no-nonsense woman who, when a pretend intergalactic space exploration impels a food fight, sentences the boys to “ten minutes of toyless, gameless, sit-and-think-about-your-actions time in the bathroom.” Despite her efforts, an incident results in a water balloon–drenched, wet-tissue-paper-filled living room, and Link and Hud’s parents dismiss Ms. Joyce. But the siblings—seeing the impact their behavior has on their parents’ struggling businesses—determine to bring her back. Comics panels, full-page spreads, and spot art rendered in gray tones alternate between the boys’ imagined adventures and their real-life consequences. The Pumphreys (Somewhere in the Bayou) reteam to present a hybrid prose and graphic novel offering that, rather than denouncing the brothers’ actions, celebrates the far reaches and positive ramifications of the duo’s imagination, making for an uplifting and spirited interpretation of family and boundless creativity. Ages 9–12. Agent: Hannah Mann, Writers House. (Mar.)