  | Full Text Reviews: Booklist - 01/01/2016 With maniacal glee, villain-in-training Dylan grins from the cover of Campbell’s latest picture book. Though not evil themselves, the Snivels couldn’t be more proud of their little boy: his costume is “super scary,” his laugh “super crazy,” and his inventions “extra-super villainous.” Brimming with confidence, Dylan enrolls at Astrid Rancid’s Academy for the Villainous and Vile, where he is knocked down a few pegs by the white-caped and blue-haired Addison Van Malice. When a competition is announced to build the most diabolical robot, he is determined to beat Addison at last: “‘That hideous trophy,’ vows Dylan, ‘will be mine! All MINE!’” And he is not afraid to employ underhanded tactics to get it. Best known for his illustrations in Kate DiCamillo’s Newbery-winning Flora and Ulysses (2013), Campbell’s depictions of Dylan’s antics are filled with humorous details: hand-wringing while plotting and a range of facial expressions as he revels in villainy. Soft watercolor and colored pencil illustrations counterbalance the story’s nefarious undercurrents for a playful take on first experiences with competition. - Copyright 2016 Booklist. School Library Journal - 01/01/2016 K-Gr 3—Mr. and Mrs. Snivels's baby boy is a supervillain, so the two do what any good parents would and work to convince their son that he's the cleverest and best supervillain in the whole world. Raising a supervillain is not so different from raising any other child, they discover. Bedtime protests, mealtime messes, and an allergic reaction to purple parsnip preserves make him much like all of the other children. However, when Dylan is enrolled at Astrid Rancid's Academy for the Villainous & Vile, he is upset to meet a classmate more clever and evil than he: Addison Van Malice. Her one-upping fuels Dylan's jealousy, culminating in each of their worst ploys yet at the hands of a contest to create the most diabolical robot. Campbell's watercolor and colored pencil illustrations are emotive and at the same time inviting, despite the vile nature of the characters. Children will see themselves in the faces of Dylan's classmates, a diverse cast of supervillain children all seeking to thrive in their new environment. The text is fanciful and does a lot with playing on the idea that a life of evil parallels the lives of children and isn't so different, give or take the occasional robot armed with an astro-plasm cannon. Silliness aside, the story may give readers pause. Early on, Dylan has a severe allergic reaction, breaking out in hives all over his body, and is rushed to the doctor. At story's end, Addison enacts revenge on Dylan by smearing the contest's trophy in parsnip preserves, the food to which Dylan is allergic. This act of revenge could easily be fatal to anyone in real life living with food allergies and is something adults will want to explain carefully before sharing this story with any child. VERDICT An otherwise outstanding picture book with a flaw too significant to overlook.—Matthew C. Winner, Ducketts Lane Elementary School, Elkridge, MD - Copyright 2016 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Loading...
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