Revenge of the Bigfoot

Book Four in Dom Pelletier’s “Lunch Club” series is titled Revenge of the Bigfoot, and it follows our favourite Philately Club members, Tia, Leo, and Mr. Peabody, as they embark on a camping and Bigfoot-hunting adventure with the town’s Horology Club. As we’ve come to expect, nothing ever goes to plan for our heroes, and they soon find themselves camping with robots, kidnapped by Bigfoot, and learning the truth about the Philately Club founder McSticky (no spoilers here, though).

The good news is, not much has changed in this fourth title of the series. The illustrations are still bright, fun, and full of hilarious details. The text-to-illustration ratio is still beautifully balanced, and the language is still clear and simple. The jokes remain a solid combination of smart and silly, with a few pointed lines that poke fun at the whole bad-guy genre. Our new villain crying, “This is a monologue, not a conversation!”, made me laugh out loud.

The bad news, if you can call it that, is that not much has changed. The same basic plot structure, the same villains (plus one new addition as readers finally learn the identity of Zaralgax’s boss), and the same wide-open ending that prepares us for the next book. For readers who require something new and exciting to keep them engaged, this might not be enough. However, for many readers, the familiar formula and dependability is a benefit, making reading a safe and comfortable activity as opposed to a challenge. Revenge of the Bigfoot does this very well, and, for that reason, I will continue to add these books to our school’s graphic novel collection.