There are certain words and phrases that are instantly hilarious.  Kalamazoo is one of them.  Platypus is another.  All the more reason to combine the two.  That’s my logic.  When I heard that Jarrett Krosoczka (he of the Lunch Lady GN series as well as a stunner of a TED talk, amongst other accomplishments), had a buddy cop middle grade coming out called Platypus Police Squad: The Frog Who Croaked, I had to have it.  And as luck would have it, it’s great.  Why no one has ever thought to do a buddy copy chapter book (if you can name me one other you earn yourself a cookie) I do not know.  Clearly it’s meant to be.

Folks at Walden Media got wind that I liked the book (review forthcoming) and asked if I’d like to premier some of the art.  The book’s not slated for shelves until May 7th so here’s a bit of a peek into some of the pieces I’m particularly fond of and why.

So first off, the book is set in Kalamazoo City, which is not to be confused with Kalamazoo, Michigan (my beloved hometown).  Here’s a bit of a glimpse into some of the lower income parts of the city.  From what I can tell, Kalamazoo City sports a pretty large population.  One of our heroes in the book lives here.

I refer to the book as in the “buddy cop” style, but as you can see, Krosoczka isn’t averse to dropping a bit of noir in as well.

Then there’s the standard getting-dressed-down-by-the-chief scene.  Of which this book had in abundance.  I like this shot.

Should I read too much into the fact that the librarian in this book is a bird?  A bird with a thing for young handsome platypuses, no less.  She clearly has good taste.  I’m going to lay claim to her in any case.

It’s like me mudda always used to say: Never trust a koala.  Particularly a koala sporting elastic on his upper arms..

This just a small smattering, but it gives you a taste for the book in its entirety.  Thanks to Walden Media for letting me show you the goods.  It’s a grand little book.  No fooling.