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Banana Fox #2
Banana Fox and the Book-Eating Robot
Eisner Award-winning cartoonist James Kochalka returns with another uproariously funny caper for Banana Fox to sniff out in this critically acclaimed series from Graphix Chapters!
Booie Hoo!
Banana Fox's late fees have landed him in library jail! And when a familiar foe is found around town and a giant book-eating robot is unleashed, it looks like Flashlight and William need to step in to save the day. The junior detectives put their heads together, but when their investigation runs cold, an unlikely hero emerges and proves his own sleuthing skills! But without Banana Fox's help, can the trio put Sour Grapes Jr. behind bars for good?
Graphix Chapters are ideal books for beginning and newly independent readers. With approachable page counts, easy-to-follow paneling, and artwork that supports text comprehension, these engaging stories with unforgettable characters help children become lifelong readers.
Get drawn into reading with Graphix Chapters!
Booie Hoo!
Banana Fox's late fees have landed him in library jail! And when a familiar foe is found around town and a giant book-eating robot is unleashed, it looks like Flashlight and William need to step in to save the day. The junior detectives put their heads together, but when their investigation runs cold, an unlikely hero emerges and proves his own sleuthing skills! But without Banana Fox's help, can the trio put Sour Grapes Jr. behind bars for good?
Graphix Chapters are ideal books for beginning and newly independent readers. With approachable page counts, easy-to-follow paneling, and artwork that supports text comprehension, these engaging stories with unforgettable characters help children become lifelong readers.
Get drawn into reading with Graphix Chapters!
80 pages, Paperback
Published November 2, 2021
23 people are currently reading
39 people want to read
About the author
James Kochalka
210 books106 followersJames Kochalka is an American comic book artist and writer, and rock musician. His comics are noted for their blending of the real and the surreal. Largely autobiographical, Kochalka's cartoon expression of the world around him includes such real-life characters as his wife, children, cat, friends and colleagues, but always filtered through his own observations and flights of whimsy. In March 2011 he will be declared the cartoonist laureate of Vermont, serving a term of two years.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
May 27, 2022
the start is funny
December 11, 2021
Graphic Novel
Middle grade readers will appreciate the humor as Banana Fox and company continue to take on their arch enemies and rescue the town from an out of control robot.
Middle grade readers will appreciate the humor as Banana Fox and company continue to take on their arch enemies and rescue the town from an out of control robot.
August 1, 2022
Tur-Tur is my favorite character 😍
July 17, 2023
Ok book
October 19, 2023
This is a funny book following Banana Fox and friends.
August 27, 2021
Ingenuine
I didn't like this book for a couple of reasons. The first and biggest reason is the dialogue. All text in this book is dialogue, but not a single character talks like a normal person. Almost every sentence is in bold with giant exclamation marks everywhere. The characters are always yelling.
The second problem with the dialogue is that it is written so largely that the text takes up almost the entire panel in many places. So even though there are perfectly good illustrations we cannot see them because they are covered up with text. This might have been excusable if the text was actually good, but see above.
The last reason I didn't connect with this graphic novel was because of the circumstances that were presented in the story. I read a lot of fantasy a lot of sci-fi and a lot of speculative fiction. I am used to taking things with a grain of salt and expanding my imagination. But there seem to be no cars in affect or explanation for any of the fantastical circumstances that the characters were put in. All that put together made this feel like this book was written assuming children are not smart enough to notice these problems.
I didn't like this book for a couple of reasons. The first and biggest reason is the dialogue. All text in this book is dialogue, but not a single character talks like a normal person. Almost every sentence is in bold with giant exclamation marks everywhere. The characters are always yelling.
The second problem with the dialogue is that it is written so largely that the text takes up almost the entire panel in many places. So even though there are perfectly good illustrations we cannot see them because they are covered up with text. This might have been excusable if the text was actually good, but see above.
The last reason I didn't connect with this graphic novel was because of the circumstances that were presented in the story. I read a lot of fantasy a lot of sci-fi and a lot of speculative fiction. I am used to taking things with a grain of salt and expanding my imagination. But there seem to be no cars in affect or explanation for any of the fantastical circumstances that the characters were put in. All that put together made this feel like this book was written assuming children are not smart enough to notice these problems.
March 14, 2022
I love everything about these books. I won't lie though, at the mention of "Library Jail" my librarian tail feathers were super ruffled. I hate that shit. Let's not joke to kids about Library Jail or how a librarian is going to do something to you if you bring a book back late or damaged. It's not cool. There is no library police and we aren't going to do anything to small children. Don't make us the bad guy in the void space where you should be parenting and supervising your child with books that belong to others and teaching them how to treat things. Don't make US the bad guy. Please, please for the love of all books just teach them consequences to their actions and we are not it. Consequences might be a fine (or not depending on the library) or you may need to set a consequence for your child but it shouldn't be using a person who's job is to encourage the love of learning to instill fear in your child...
So... thanks for coming to my ted talk.
Off my soap box now.
Really though, library jail aside I'm glad it was the SSS all along and not rogue librarians. I hope the SSS leaves the library alone in future books! We love Banana Fox and his crew at our house!
So... thanks for coming to my ted talk.
Off my soap box now.
Really though, library jail aside I'm glad it was the SSS all along and not rogue librarians. I hope the SSS leaves the library alone in future books! We love Banana Fox and his crew at our house!
December 8, 2021
Kochalka's eye-catching illustrations prompted me to order book 1 in the series. Although I didn't find that particular story to be clever (or even that humorous), I was willing to recommend purchasing the sequel. Unfortunately, book 2 is a continuation of silliness and nonsense (...including a robot that shreds books--with the exception of one, specific title). The sentence to "library jail" for an accumulation of $3645 in late fees was the deal-breaker for me, though: Public libraries already combat outdated stereotypes among patrons, and I will not recommend authors/illustrators who haven't evolved. Scholastic, what were you thinking? Kochalka, do better.
September 25, 2023
Very much in line with the over-the-top goofy hijinks of Dav Pilkey's beloved Dog Man series, anything pretty much goes in the Banana Fox world. Our self-proclaimed hero Banana Fox has no clue what he's doing but somehow manages to save the day in spite of himself thanks to help from his clever and loyal kid friends. Kochalka's art with its noodley Gumbyesque characters and bright panels with thick black outlines is very satisfying and appealing to look at.
A fun read for younger readers and while the age window for its appeal may not be as wide as Dog Man, parents may appreciate that the humor tends toward more physical and slapsticky than potty humor in this case.
A fun read for younger readers and while the age window for its appeal may not be as wide as Dog Man, parents may appreciate that the humor tends toward more physical and slapsticky than potty humor in this case.
July 29, 2021
Kochalka has come out with another crowd pleasing, zany graphic offering. Banana Fox is back for his second “mystery,” with the word “mystery” applying generously to a very silly situation. Sharyanna, William and Flashlight (a flashlight) must try to break B.F. out of library jail, which is a dastardly book drop trap designed by the Secret Sour Society. Ten short chapters with the author’s signature thickly outlined colorful comic art, easy to follow panels and speech bubbles and silly, laugh out loud action, will appeal to kids who like funny stories.
June 11, 2021
Ok, the art is good and the story is fine but there was a 2-page scene where banana fox is told they owe over $3,000 in late fees and then gets handcuffed and told they’re going to “library jail.” We learn later in the book that there is no such thing, however, the visual and text is damaging. It really made me feel uncomfortable to not only see libraries portrayed that way but to add in what seems like unnecessary jail/arrest content. Not sure I’d recommend this book. (Read an ARC.)
July 28, 2022
Ironically, this was a library book about library books.
November 6, 2022
Read this to my toddler. A lot of action! Def an attention grabber even for myself.
December 30, 2022
I received an ARC courtesy of Graphix.
September 28, 2024
Honestly I think my elementary library patrons will love the book’s goofy humor.
April 6, 2025
I like that this book was so funny! I can’t wait to read the next one.
June 11, 2025
it was funny but some parts banana fox was over worrying .
January 28, 2022
Kids- be sure to return your library books and you might end up in library jail like our hero, Banana Fox!
Believing that the Secret Serpent Society is finally defeated, Banana Fox and his pals think they might have a chance to relax. That is until they run across Sour Grapes, Jr., the son of the SSS's leader. Turns out children can't go to jail. But as Banana Fox finds out, if you don't give your books back to the library, you'll end up in jail!
True- this is likely a plot by Sour Grapes Jr. Especially since the young villain has a new job as a library volunteer. But is it really fair to have to go to library jail when the book return is in reality a book-eating robot?
This chapter book graphic novel was a hilarious read. I chuckled several times to this, the second in the Banana Fox series by James Kolchaka (Johnny Boo). Banana Fox is a rather featherbrained hero much like The Tick. Banana Fox has that overly-optimistic approach to superheroing as sometimes he has trouble finding the bad in people. And the main character seems to get confused a lot seeing trouble when good intentions are the only thing on the menu.
I just love this topsy-turvy look at good and evil!
The characters of this book are memorable. The banter between both Banana Fox and his human sidekicks and the kid villain were both witty and brilliant. They're all clearly much more smarter than Banana Fox. But they also seem unaffected by the hero's surreal look on life! And Sour Grapes Jr. really does love his Loopy Boopy Bunny books!
The artwork is a bit cartoonish. But it's something that young readers will delight in. And with the zany traps and clever dialogue, parents and guardians will too! You know how Bugs Bunny gets all double-talkish and confuses the heck out of Elmer Fudd or Daffy Duck? That's how the villain of this book befuddles Banana Fox. Only, in this book, you don't have resulting explosions or falling anvils which in return should appease many violence-avoiding grown-ups.
I'm a little disappointed in myself that I didn't read book #1 first (Banana Fox and The Secret Serpent Society). But this book was from last November and still on my library's new shelf. The good thing is you don't have to have read that volume in order to understand or enjoy this graphic novel.(Though I'm not sure why he's called Banana Fox...) But when you finish this one, you might want to go back and start from the beginning. I just hope I remember to bring this book back least I get put in library jail!
A great laugh for readers aged 7-10 or so.
Believing that the Secret Serpent Society is finally defeated, Banana Fox and his pals think they might have a chance to relax. That is until they run across Sour Grapes, Jr., the son of the SSS's leader. Turns out children can't go to jail. But as Banana Fox finds out, if you don't give your books back to the library, you'll end up in jail!
True- this is likely a plot by Sour Grapes Jr. Especially since the young villain has a new job as a library volunteer. But is it really fair to have to go to library jail when the book return is in reality a book-eating robot?
This chapter book graphic novel was a hilarious read. I chuckled several times to this, the second in the Banana Fox series by James Kolchaka (Johnny Boo). Banana Fox is a rather featherbrained hero much like The Tick. Banana Fox has that overly-optimistic approach to superheroing as sometimes he has trouble finding the bad in people. And the main character seems to get confused a lot seeing trouble when good intentions are the only thing on the menu.
I just love this topsy-turvy look at good and evil!
The characters of this book are memorable. The banter between both Banana Fox and his human sidekicks and the kid villain were both witty and brilliant. They're all clearly much more smarter than Banana Fox. But they also seem unaffected by the hero's surreal look on life! And Sour Grapes Jr. really does love his Loopy Boopy Bunny books!
The artwork is a bit cartoonish. But it's something that young readers will delight in. And with the zany traps and clever dialogue, parents and guardians will too! You know how Bugs Bunny gets all double-talkish and confuses the heck out of Elmer Fudd or Daffy Duck? That's how the villain of this book befuddles Banana Fox. Only, in this book, you don't have resulting explosions or falling anvils which in return should appease many violence-avoiding grown-ups.
I'm a little disappointed in myself that I didn't read book #1 first (Banana Fox and The Secret Serpent Society). But this book was from last November and still on my library's new shelf. The good thing is you don't have to have read that volume in order to understand or enjoy this graphic novel.(Though I'm not sure why he's called Banana Fox...) But when you finish this one, you might want to go back and start from the beginning. I just hope I remember to bring this book back least I get put in library jail!
A great laugh for readers aged 7-10 or so.
January 5, 2022
This book is awful, it only made my think what a banana fox and a normal non-banana person’s child would look like
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews