The Onts

October 3, 2005
The debut book in the paper-over-board Secrets of Dripping Fang series introduces the 10-year-old Shluffmuffin twins, whose father drowned in a "Porta Potti" and whose mother was smothered by "a gang of angry bunnies." No one who comes to the Jolly Days Orphanage wants to adopt either Cheyenne or Wally, since her allergies cause her to sneeze constantly, and his feet "reeked worse than festering, maggoty meat." But the siblings' luck seems to turn when two tall sisters with large heads and extra hands (sinisterly portrayed by Fischer in a wordless spread) arrive at the orphanage. After taking the twins to their house in Dripping Fang Forest, the sisters tell the children to address them as Aunt ("we pronounce Aunt
as ont
, not ant
," the ladies instruct). Wally discovers that the two are, indeed, giant ants and are "breeding a race of super ants to enslave humans and take over Earth." Escaping into the forest, the twins narrowly escape some unpleasant encounters before temporarily taking refuge in the home of a professor and his wife—a large, hairy spider. Though kids may chuckle at some of these wacky bits, Greenburg's (the Zack Files series) outlandish humor often misses its mark. Ages 8-12.

November 1, 2007
Gr 3-5-Prolific childrens author Dan Greenburg shows off another of his many talents by skillfully narrating in a variety of silly voices his hilarious story (Harcourt, 2005) about orphan children and giant ants. Nobody wants to adopt the ten-year-old Shliffmuffin twins due to Wallys foot odor and Cheyennes many allergies. When the unusual Mandible sisters come to the orphanage requesting just these traits and take them to live in the dreaded Dripping Fang Forest, its no wonder that Wally is a little suspicious. Things just get worse when they find out that the sisters are really giant ants and are breeding an army of similar insects in their basement. Adventure and laughter ensue as the twins run for their lives.Karen T. Bilton, Mary Jacobs Library, Rocky Hill, NJ

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