Wilf the Mighty Worrier: Saves the World

British comedy writer Pritchett makes her children’s book debut with the story of a fearful boy named Wilf, whose life is upended when the “biddly boddly baddest man in the whole wide worlderoony” moves in next door. Full of invented words and tangential asides, Pritchett’s over-the-top narration pulls readers to and fro as Wilf tries to put aside his many (many) fears to stop Alan and his Big Gun Thingy from destroying the planet. Pritchett plays Alan’s villainy for laughs (early on he tells Wilf he’s going to pave over his yard to make room for a hover-tank “powered by the sighs of orphans”), and while a familiarity with some British turns of phrase will be helpful, fans of cracked adventures from the likes of Andy Griffiths and Dav Pilkey will be right at home. Ages 6–9.