The Adventures of Ook and Gluk: Kung-Fu Cavemen from the Future by Dav Pilkey
Reviewed by: Chris Singer
About the author:
Dav Pilkey has written and illustrated numerous popular, award-winning books for children, including the Captain Underpants and Dumb Bunnies series; Dog Breath, winner of the California Young Reader Medal; and The Paperboy, a Caldecott Honor Book. He lives with his wife in the Pacific Northwest. Visit him online at www.pilkey.com
About the book:
In this all-new graphic novel, George Beard and Harold Hutchins present the sensational saga of two silly caveboys named Ook and Gluk. Ook and Gluk have a pretty awesome life growing up together in Caveland, Ohio, in 500,001 BC—even though they’re always getting in trouble with their nasty leader, Big Chief Goppernopper. But Ook and Gluk’s idyllic life takes a turn for the terrible when an evil corporation from the future invades their quiet, prehistoric town. When Ook, Gluk, and their little dinosaur pal, Lily, are pulled through a time portal to the year 2222 AD, they discover that the world of the future is even worse than the devastated one they came from. Fortunately, they find a friend in Master Wong, a martial arts instructor who trains them in the ways of kung fu, so that they may one day return home and make things right again. And, like the other Captain Underpants books, The Adventures of Ook and Gluk, Kung-Fu Cavemen from the Future features the world’s cheesiest animation technology, “Flip-O-Rama,” in every chapter.
My take on the book:
If you are familiar with Dav Pilkey, you already know his books are huge hits with reluctant readers. Those readers and other fans of the Captain Underpants series are going to have a lot of fun with Ook and Gluk as well. It’s funny and silly and even parents will laugh if they’re reading along with their kids. I love Pilkey’s artwork and the Flip-O-Rama’s crack me up as well. There’s even some good lessons in the story such as preserving natural resources and I definitely enjoyed the symbolism behind Ook and Gluk’s battle with the “evil corporation.”
Overall though, I have to admit being a little torn. I have a hard time not believing the intentional misspellings in the book aren’t going to be problematic for young readers or kids
So glad to read your opinions were mixed!!! I absolutely hated this book for those same reasons. I could barely finish it!
Don’t enter me in the contest – just glad to hear I’m not the only fussy reader.
Thanks Melissa – This review took me days to finish because like I said in the review, I was torn. I think I was pretty generous with it actually now that I think about it. I love Scholastic though and that Tony Baloney book is a steal as part of the giveaway.
Chris- This is a good review. I love Dav Pilkey, but would rather read about your honest opinion of the book.
Thanks Mike! I think if you’re a fan already, you’ll like this book and you already know what to expect. Plus parents need to know what to expect if they’ve never read Dav Pilkey before.
I agree with you, Chris. I don’t like children’s books with intentional misspelling. That alone would keep my away from the book, but the name calling drives a nail on this books coffin.
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