Klawde: Evil alien warlord cat and Enemies by Johnny Marciano and Emily Chenoweth

[Originally published April 2019]

The story opens with the redoubtable tyrant, General Wyss-Kuzz, betrayed and sentenced to exile in a terrifying alien world... otherwise known as earth, specifically Elba, Oregon. He's not the only exile, although he's certainly the most outraged; Raj has been forced to move from his cool apartment in New York, his best friends, and handy pizza and comics. To add insult to injury, his parents sign him up for wilderness survival camp! On the bright side, he's just found a stray cat. That... can talk?

The chapters alternate between Wyss-Kuzz (or Klawde, as he is now known) and Raj. Klawde has many outraged pronouncements on the indignities visited upon him by the strange troll-creatures of earth, details his attempts to raise an army, and reluctantly admits his growing admiration for Raj. Ok, maybe "tolerance" is a better word. Raj, meanwhile, is exuberantly fond of his first-ever pet, and hopeful about the possibilities of making friends, although the weirder the camp counselor and other kids he meets get, the more nervous he is about survival night - especially since he's not sure he will survive!

The second title, Enemies, increases the parallels between Klawde and Raj. Klawde, betrayed by, well, he doesn't have friends so let's say a general previously thought to be loyal, and Raj, already unbalanced by attending a new school and now forced to meet an old "friend" who he had a huge fight with before leaving New York, are both off their game. Klawde works hard to battle an old enemy, recruit new soldiers and maintain their loyalty, and uphold the great traditions of his planet. Raj, on the other hand, alternates between anger and humiliation at his erstwhile friend's behavior and finally, just when he's decided to take the high ground and resist showing up his friend, Klawde plays an unexpected role. Both Raj and Klawde have unexpected, if not entirely happy, endings and the stage is set for another wacky adventure.

Spot illustrations in shades of blue and black show a scruffy, decidedly un-fluffy cat, the hapless Raj, and his motley crew of friends and enemies and they scramble their way through their adventures. It's not a beginning chapter book per say, more of a lower middle grade title. It will appeal to fluent readers in 2nd grade up to about 5th or 6th grade. Yes, the kids are in middle school but it's really written for a younger audience.

Verdict: This will appeal to readers who like Captain Underpants and Wimpy Kid-style humor, although Raj is a much nicer character and shows moral growth despite his somewhat difficult situations. Readers will need a fairly high tolerance for goofiness of the "Planet Lyttyrboks" style of humor. Hand this to readers who like Binky the space cat and Dragonbreath.

Revisited: The sixth book in the series came out in August 2021. It's not as popular as, say, Captain Underpants or Max Brallier's Last kids on earth, but every kid I've given it to has liked it.

Klawde: Evil Alien Warlord Cat
ISBN: 9781524787202
Klawde: Enemies
ISBN: 9781524787226

Published February 2019 by Penguin Workshop; Review copies provided by publisher; Donated to the library