Lyric McKerrigan, Secret Librarian

July 1, 2018

Gr 1-3-The nefarious Doctor Glockenspiel has escaped from the Depository for the Criminally Naughty, and unless he is paid one billion trillion dollars, he will set loose an army of giant moths to devour the world's books! Enter Lyric McKerrigan, secret librarian, who foils Doctor Glockenspiel's plans at every turn with perfectly selected tomes slipped to exactly the right people at exactly the right time. Thanks to Lyric's clever disguises, cunning readers' advisory tactics, and persuasive storytelling talents, Doctor Glockenspiel is returned to his cell, where, of course, the secret librarian has left him a few books to occupy his time. The story is told in spare text, and it is Brosgol's winning graphic-style illustrations that really steal the show. Done in ink with color in Adobe Photoshop, the art is effervescent, with bold lines, bright colors, expressive faces, and several well-placed visual gags to reward attentive readers. VERDICT Sure to delight budding comic fans, crime fighters, and bibliophiles alike.-Lauren Strohecker, McKinley Elementary School, Elkins Park, PA

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 15, 2018
Who will save the world's books from peril? None other than Lyric McKerrigan, Secret Librarian!When Dr. Glockenspiel escapes from his cell in the Depository for the Criminally Naughty, not even the "best secret agents" can stop his plot to destroy every book with his "army of giant moths." The world needs a hero who "loves books so much that she would risk her life to save them." With her crafty disguises and unrivaled knowledge of titles for every reader, purple-haired Lyric McKerrigan sneaks past the defenses in Dr. Glockenspiel's Arctic-iceberg lair, frees the secret agents, and turns the evil plot on its head. The comic-book format and the vibrant colors that fill every page match the high-energy tone and dramatic flair of the text. Brosgol packs the illustrations with amusing details that add something new to discover with every reading. Lyric soars into action on a book-shaped parachute and passes out such titles as If You Give a Mouse a Contract and How to Win Friends & Influence Henchmen. In the background, on a security-camera screen, a henchman picks his nose. While Lyric, the henchmen, and Dr. Glockenspiel are white, the secret agents, Arctic lair security guard, and concerned citizens depict a more racially diverse world.An exciting escapade with an unlikely hero and a not-so-secret message about the power of books. (Picture book. 4-7)

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July 16, 2018
What if there were a superhero who could give people in trouble the very book they need most? Weinstein (Hyacinth and the Secrets Beneath) spins this winning concept out with cheeky hilarity, starting with the evil Doctor Glockenspiel’s threat to set an army of giant moths loose on the world’s books if he doesn’t get “one billion trillion dollars.” After Glockenspiel’s henchmen capture the world’s best secret agents, a mysterious plumber slips the ill-used henchmen a book called Your Boss Can’t Do That, and an imprisoned hero finds a copy of How to Pick Locks in a bowl handed to her by a jailkeeper sporting suspiciously dark shades. But who could be supplying these books? Lyric McKerrigan, of course! Caldecott Honor–winning artist Brosgol (Leave Me Alone!) draws heroes and evildoers with wit: the henchmen are portly white men in three-piece suits, while the heroes are a diverse bunch, each with their own splendid sense of style. Against a palette that ranges from hot oranges to celestial blues, Lyric McKerrigan, with her pink bangs and lime green leggings, saves the day by dint of book recommendation. Ages 4–7.

September 1, 2018
Puns and literary references abound in this superhero send-up. Evil Doctor Glockenspiel has escaped from jail and has holed up in his Arctic lair to threaten the world: he wants one billion trillion dollars or he'll unleash his army of giant moths to eat the world's books!!! When the best secret agents from around the globe are captured by Glockenspiel's henchmen, the world seems doomed. But wait! The direct, playful text asks: Who loves books so much that she would risk her life to save them? Librarian Lyric McKerrigan is introduced in superhero-like glory as she parachutes down the page, the chute resembling the open pages of a book. Sporting green leggings, pink-purple dyed hair, and various disguises, Lyric uses her stellar skills?both spy and reader's advisory (one of her disguises includes a toolbox stocked with books such as Five Little Monkeys Jump on the Boss and Little Boss on the Prairie)?to defeat Doctor Glockenspiel and send him back to jail. We last see him shivering in his undies (his own moths having eaten his wool sweater) with a RETURNED stamp on his forehead. Brosgol's confident line work, vibrant colors, and judicious panel placement allow for the jokes to shine and for the fanciful, energetic plot to move at a thrilling, action-packed pace. elisa gall

(Copyright 2018 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

January 1, 2019
Evil Dr. Glockenspiel threatens to unleash giant moths to "eat the world's books!!!" "Who loves books so much that she would risk her life to save them?" Librarian Lyric McKerrigan will--using her stellar skills, both spy and reader's advisory. Confident line work, vibrant colors, and masterful panel placement allow the playful text's puns and literary references to shine and the fanciful plot to move at a thrilling pace.

(Copyright 2019 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)