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Squish #3: The Power of the Parasite. by Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm. May 22, 2012. Random House. 96 pages. ISBN: 9780375843914

The Power of the Parasite is the third book in the Squish series by Babymouse creators Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm. In this episode, Squish, a pond-dwelling amoeba, is sent to summer swim camp because his mom thinks amoebas who live in ponds should know how to swim. While sitting on the sidelines, too scared to actually get in the pool, he meets a hydra named Basil. Squish and Basil share a love of Super Amoeba comic books, which Squish reads in every volume of the series so far, and they laugh themselves silly over the swim coach’s insistence that swimming is “super awesome fun!” Before long, though, Basil’s sense of humor reveals a cruel streak, and Squish finds himself wondering if their fun is going too far.

What I like about Jennifer and Matthew Holm’s work is that it finds the fun and humor in childhood experiences. Both Babymouse and Squish are successful series, I think, because of their unique, clever perspectives on school, adults, family, friendship, and in Squish’s case, science. As I’ve said in the past about the Little Wings chapter book series, there is something really appealing about realistic problems set in fantastical and unusual settings. There isn’t much new about the storyline in this book - lots of books have dealt with the idea of bullying or peer pressure in some way, but because the setting is a pond and the characters are hydras and amoebas, the entire story becomes fresh and interesting to its audience, even if that audience has read the basic plotline before.

I also think the way each organism is introduced to the reader is a nice way to incorporate some scientific knowledge into the book without losing the book’s entertainment value. I wasn’t even sure myself of the difference between an amoeba, a paramecium, and a hydra before getting into this series, and it was fun to be reminded by these quirky comics characters. The only thing I do need to admit is that this book isn’t as funny as even the least amusing Babymouse book. Babymouse’s sarcasm really resonates with me, as does her snarky banter with the narrator, but Squish is more earnest, and there is a bit more of a moral to his story. I also recently book talked Babymouse: Mad Scientist to a third grade class, and all of them had read Babymouse, but none had heard of Squish. Squish is cute, and his stories are fun and fast-paced, but they just don’t compare to the excellence of the Babymouse books.

Overall, I think The Power of the Parasite will appeal to kids hooked on graphic novels. Boys who are turned off by the pinkness of Babymouse might find these a nice alternative. I think kids as young as 5 or 6 can appreciate Squish’s more innocent humor, whereas Babymouse’s audience might skew slightly older. Parents who are turned off by Captain Underpants and similar books can feel at ease with Squish, whose only disgusting traits are those given to him by nature. Recommend this book to budding scientists, comic book fanatics, and fans of Megan McDonald’s Stink series. 

I received a digital ARC of The Power of the Parasite from Random House via NetGalley. 
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Until very recently, I knew surprisingly little about Babymouse. All of that changed just before Christmas when I was able to get my hands on the first few books in the series. Here is what I learned:

First of all, Babymouse is not a baby. I honestly wish I'd paid more attention and picked up on that fact sooner, because it would have made me much more interested in reading this series. As it turns out, Babymouse is in middle school and has a bit of a middle school attitude. She dislikes school, has an active imagination, and frequently spouts the pessimistic phrase, "Typical," when something doesn't go her way. She reminds me of AJ from the Weird School books and even a little bit of Junie B. Jones. I understand now why she's so popular.

The illustrations in the Babymouse books are somewhat similar to those in the Fashion Kitty series in that they are entirely pink and black. From what I can gather, though, the pinkness of the books doesn't turn off boy readers. In fact, I think Babymouse's attitude and the graphic format of the books draws in boy readers, especially reluctant ones.

The narrator is a character in each book. As in Disney's Winnie-the-Pooh, the narrator tells the story and also interacts with Babymouse, arguing with her and sometimes poking fun at her in a somewhat ironic tone. Because of this relationship with the narrator, I kept thinking of Babymouse as a grown-up version of the mouse in the The Little Mouse, The Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big, Hungry Bear. The tone is very similar.

Whereas the Fashion Kitty books are more about girl power, Babymouse is more about relating universal middle school experiences in a funny way. In that sense, the series compares well to Amelia Rules, where the characters also use their imaginations to combat life's difficulties. Funny visual gags really add to the universal appeal and make the mundane seem interesting and adventurous.

There are currently fifteen titles in the Babymouse series, covering everything from camping, to dragonslaying, to mad science, to Christmas. Babymouse is also online at randomhouse.com/kids/ babymouse.

I borrowed the Babymouse books I read for this post from my local public library.

Find the entire series on Goodreads and Worldcat.

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