Brilliant

By Roddy Doyle

Publisher: Amulet Books, 2015

Genre: Children’s Fiction

Pages: 192

Via: Library

First, a confession. Her Momness and I grabbed this book off the library shelf for two main reasons: 1) The cover. 2) One of us – I won’t say who – thought it was about a dog. I mean, hey. “Brilliant” and a black dog on the cover? Need I say more?

Well. We only had like 98 seconds to make a selection, so gimme a break, okay?

Then we got home. And started reading. Turns out one of us was way off the kibble on this book. By about a mile a half. So, listen up, Cupcake! I’m gonna tell ya what this book is really about, okay?

Ready? Get set! Let’s go!

The 4-1-1

When the Black Dog of Depression comes to Dublin and steals the town’s funny bone, things go downhill fast. Dads won’t get out of bed. Mothers can’t find their smiles. Uncles lose their businesses.

Raymond and his sister Gloria are determined to put a stop to the Black of Dog Depression’s carousing and shenanigans. So on the night before Saint Patrick’s Day they decide to take matters into their own hands. Dubliner children are going to find the town’s lost funny bone and get it back – no matter what. And if that means facing up to the terrible and ferocious Black Dog of Depression, why, they will. And they’ll chase it out of town, too!

Hale & Hearty

What follows is a hale and hearty story filled with humor, magic, and boatloads of creativity. A nimble plot and pitch-perfect pacing propel this engaging and entertaining story forward like a load from a trebuchet. Incoming!

Readers get a sense of excitement and an adrenaline rush as they join the kids chasing the black hound of depression all over town. They trail the dog through a park, a zoo -to the cheers of the animals – and to a beach. Once on the sand, however, the kids realize they may  be getting more than they bargained for. Will they be able to capture the Black Dog of Depression and send him packing, or is it a trap?

Tip: You’d be surprised how much punch one little word packs. Especially if it’s repeated out loud. By a bunch of determined kids. (You’ll get that if you read the book.)

Scene stealer: Chester the dog. We also liked how the author guy included snippets of Irish history, legend and lore and all that good stuff in the story. Also, the illustrations are bark-worthy. Just. Plain. Fain.

Double Duh

Kimber: I’m not too crazy about the villain here. For obvious reasons, if ya know what I mean. For the record, I’m a world champion laughmeister. Being all sparkly, smiley, and splendiferous while spreading cheer all over the place is my specialty.  Ditto being all joyous, jolly, and genial.  Just sayin’.

I mean, seriously? Everyone who’s anyone knows that if it’s one thing any canine worth their kibble doesn’t do, it’s depression. Duh. So I think a better name for this villain would be the Black Cat of Depression. Double duh.

Still Kimber: Now. Just to show you how magnanimous and good-natured I am, I’m gonna forget all that. No hard feelings, Toots. In fact, I’m gonna recommend this book anyway. Like, if you’re feeling down in the mouth, ready to hawk up a hairball or just need a ray of sunshine – other than Yours Truly, of course – give Brilliant a look-see. It’s a lot of fun. It’s also quick. Clever. And brill… Well. You know. Like me!

Our Rating: 4.0