The Spinny Icky Showdown

The Adventures of Arnie the Doughnut #3

by Laurie Keller

Now that Arnie has conquered the bowling alley and the planet Ufonut, he's back for another round of wild adventures. This time the venue is a traveling game show (in the spirit of WIPEOUT!) that comes to town. Arnie, Peezo, and their other friends can't wait to participate in the crazy obstacle course. But Arnie and his crew are in for a challenge once they see their competition!

Genres: Humor, Graphic Novels, Fiction, Juvenile, Childrens, Chapter Books, Friendship

128 pages, Hardcover

First published November 3, 2015

About the author

Laurie Keller grew up in Muskegon, Michigan. She always loved to draw, paint and write stories. She spent much of her time performing in a local dance tour company and dancing in and choreographing some civic theatre shows.
She graduated several years later with a BFA in Illustration. She also got a job as a greeting card illustrator at Hallmark Cards in Kansas City, Missouri. She is the author and illustrator of many children's books.

Reviews

[Kaethe · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is part of my 365 Kids Books challenge. For an explanation see my review for 101 Amazing Facts about Australia You can see all the books on their own shelf.

If you're following along, there has been significant improvement on the lists, and they seem to be running more or less correctly. I have plenty more reviews coming, thanks to the marvelous people @chpublib and @ocplibraries who are keeping me supplied.

Game shows are also not one of my things. But way to commit, Keller! I appreciate the absurdity and the fun art. In a world where foods are sentient but don't mind being eaten is there anything that isn't possible? I look forward to Arnie the doughnout dog's incarnation as a TikTok star.

Library copy

[Kara Belden · Rating 1 out of 5]

Can I give this 0 stars? Couldn't make it past page 20. How did this even end up in our house? It's in the trash now.

[Stephanie Tournas · Rating 3 out of 5]

It doesn't get any sillier than Arnie the doughnut and his friend Peezo, who is a slice of pizza. The two friends decide to enter an obstacle race called The Spinny Icky Showdown. All of the race's rounds are silly challenges with names involving ick-words, such as the "chopstick nickel pick", which contestants must complete wearing knickers. Then comes "blood- thirsty ticks," and "rickety toothpick tightrope." The characters are diverse - doughnut, pizza, police officer, cave man, and the diabolical Nick Pumpernickel, the friends' nemesis, who is a pumped up loaf of pumpernickel bread. I know, you thought you'd seen it all. Along with the extreme high jinks, suspense and word play, Keller incorporates entertaining definitions of words that may stump young readers.

[Tong Chen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was worried that Arnie would get hurt by nick pumpernickel shooting him off the tooth pick tight rope!.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fun book in the series

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun book to read with my little one. It has a few things that I appreciate in a children's book such as Team work, Sportsmanship, and being able to accept losing! LOVE Arnie the doughnut and Pezzo the pizza aka Dough Bros...

[Lorie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Arnie and Peezo are excited to be contestants on their favorite TV game show, The Spinny Icky Showdown. They try their best to train and be ready, but still dread landing on the Nick Pumpernickel challenge in which the contestants have to arm wrestle him. Arnie and Peezo know they aren’t strong enough to win that challenge. What will happen the day of the show? Will they have to face the dreaded “Pumpernator” and can they outsmart the other contestants to win the game?

Laurie Keller cleverly uses a comic book style with pictures and dialogue to create reader interest in this beginning chapter book. New or reluctant readers will get lots of practice finding words that all have ick included like pumpernickel and knickers throughout the text. The over the top silliness will appeal to middle grade readers.

I would recommend this book for purchase to school or public libraries looking for high interest, vocabulary rich collections.
This book was provided by the publisher for professional review by SWON Libraries.

[Cynthia Daniels · Rating 5 out of 5]

Arnie, the Doughnut and his buddy Peezo, who happens to be a talking piece of pizza are very stoked to learn that a TV gameshow is coming to Yummy Valley! They sign up and are chosen to compete with other locals, or Icksters for the Spinny Icky Showdown program! Of course they do compete heartily against the other teams from Yummy Valley in several events! Their greatest concern is whether or not Arnie and Peezo as The Dough Brothers can defeat the Pumpernator, a pumped up piece of Pumpernickel Bread who hates to lose! This book is full of puns, inuendos and wordplay and chock full of kid level silliness! It will be a definite favorite of all readers and is great for those students who are low level upper graders! Definitely students will not find Arnie the Doughnut on the shelves in the library, likely most always checked out

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Arnie and Peezo are back in an all new adventure. This time they are excited to be participating in their favorite 'reality' show called The Spinny Icky Showdown. But with a pickpocket hiding amongst the participants and Peezo's fear of the Pumpernator (a pumpernickel loaf who is very muscly) threaten to ruin things for everyone. But Arnie steps in and makes a choice that changes everything and the chaos that ensues is quite hilarious. It amazes me that I find these so funny. I'm not sure what it is but kids seem to like it too, whether it is the wordplay or just the plain silliness of it all, this series is a sure fire winner for those reluctant readers who like chapter books but love lots of illustrations with their text.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this graphic novel series, Arnie and his friend Peezo are selected as participants in a game show that moves from town to town. They are sure they can handle most of the challenging obstacles, but for Peezo, the threat of Nick Pumpernickel keeps him shaking in his crust. After all, Peezo is a slice of pizza. Along with some of their other friends in the town of Yummy Valley--Well, of course!--they figure out a way to stymy Nick and make sure his brawn doesn't triumph. Many elementary readers will enjoy this title and its jokes if shared aloud. This book, part of a series, prove that doughnuts have uses other than for consumption.

[Zoe Ruffing · Rating 3 out of 5]

Arnie the Doughnut, The Spinny Icky Show:
This book is from the point of view of a donut named Arnie. He leads the reader through his view of his trip of being on the game show The Spinny Icky Show. Throughout the book he competes with his friend Pizza doing many competitions. He has to collect penny’s with chopsticks and tightrope over cheese.
The main reason I liked and read this book was because it was so funny. Throughout the book the donut Arnie was always making jokes. I also liked how it was many different charachers such as people, foods, and other things.

[Gail · Rating 4 out of 5]

My 9 year old gave this 4.5 stars and my 11 year old gave it 3.0 stars. Fun story but my youngest who's reluctant reader of chapter books thought this latest in statement of the series had too much text (more than previous two) and wouldn't read it independently. We love the silliness of Arnie and Peezo.

[Kelly Carey · Rating 3 out of 5]

The students at my school can't get enough of Arnie the Doughnut. They seem to be attracted by the humor and illustrations.

[Molly · Rating 3 out of 5]

To come.

[Maximilian Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book because I like doughnuts. I also liked this book because it was funny.

[Debra]

This book was hilarious - full of corny jokes and crazy antics. Only a piece of pizza and a doughnut could wreck such havoc and then do the right thing so that even though they didn't win the Spinny Icky Showdown, they won the best friend award.