Alonzo and Molly the Mermaid

First in a series of chapter books, this tame story introduces a chicken named Alonzo, who “has some very special gadgets and knows a little bit of magic” and uses both to rescue Molly the Mermaid from the Pesky Pirates. Unfortunately, similarly precious alliteration continues throughout (other characters include Delores the Dolphin and Alice the Angel Fish), and the tale never builds much tension since Alonzo always has a gadget or magic trick ready, and the pirates barely live up to their pesky moniker. After tracking down the pirates, who have chained Molly to the deck and are seeking 1,000 “scooperfish” as ransom, Alonzo uses some magic on the buccaneers (turning their noses into scooperfish snouts) before giving them a long-winded dressing down. Trzpil’s occasional pencil illustrations are a high point, giving the characters more personality than is suggested by Kelly’s accessible but humdrum text. The ending suggests that the pirates aren’t finished being pesky, but readers may not be sufficiently attached to these characters to care about what lies ahead. Ages 6–10. (Aug.)