Zig and Wikki in Something Ate My Homework: Toon Books Level 3

Funny book, a quick read for 7 year old. Facts are short and interesting.

Great book! My students love it!

Awesome awesome series. These books are creative and fun and also educational.

Zig is a mischievous-looking little red alien; Wikki is his best friend, a sentient computer. Together, the two are always getting into trouble. Once again, Zig has forgotten to do his homework. So, on his way to grandma's house, he figures he'll complete his current assignment, to bring a pet for the class zoo. However, homework becomes an adventure when his buddy Wikki accidentally steers him to a strange planet called Earth. Armed with a shrink ray and a net, Zig and Wikki head out to capture a creature. But it seems that it is feeding time on planet Earth, as one creature becomes food for another, and another, and another. Will Zig and Wikki wind up part of the food chain? More importantly, will Zig get his homework done?This is another attractive entry in the Toon Books line, for a slightly older audience than Benny and Penny or Little Mouse. While it is fun and educational, Something Ate My Homework lacks some of the charm of other Toon Books. This is no fault of the tremendously appealing, cartoony, brightly colored artwork. Rather, it's the slightly stale story that makes this book drag ever so slightly. The wacky hijinks of Zig and Wikki feel tacked on to a well-done but fairly standard illustration of the food chain. Ramping up the educational value are additional facts about the creatures Zig and Wikki encounter; they're interspersed throughout the text via Wikki's forehead screen. Instead of detracting from the text, these factoids, gross and strange, will go a long way to endearing this book to young readers.Despite not feeling particularly fresh, Something Ate My Homework is a fun, educational read, and young comic fans definitely will want to see more of Zig and Wikki.-- Merideth Jenson-Benjamin

Reason for Reading: My son read this aloud to me as his reader.Zig is late handing in his assignment, a pet for the class zoo. While he and Wikki, an animate computer, are flying around the galaxy they find themselves near Earth where they drop by to see if they can find an animal for Zig's assignment.This Toon Reader is slightly different than all the others to date. It is described on the website as being "science-based". How this happens is that every now and then when the two are confronted with an unknown element Wikki's screen will turn on and a large oval display will show up with an interesting fact about said element. These aren't just your boring little information blurbs either; they are very interesting information, often humorous or gross, on the subject such as "Fly Spitting: Flies use spit to turn their food into liquid, then they suck it up, again."My learning disabled 9yo really enjoyed this book. As far as both of us are concerned, we'd say this is the best graphic novel Toon Books has put out so far (and we've read them all)! Even though the book is in the 3rd level, ds was so interested in the story that he even surprised himself at how well he could read the book. The story has all the ingredients an easy reader calls for: interesting plot, humour, enjoyable characters and a surprise ending. We hope Zig and Wikki will return in further adventures!

This little volume, put out by the marvelous imprint, Toon Books, engages my sons very well. However, I think that some of the humor went over my younger one's head. He enjoyed it anyway, and is beginning to try reading some of it himself, although he usually begs off sounding out words on his own.

A part of the Toon Books collection (a series of "beginning" comic books for youngsters), ZIG AND WIKKI IN SOMETHING ATE MY HOMEWORK is about an alien named Zig, a red creature with a single eye and two octopus-like arms, and his best friend Wikki, a walking & talking computer (older children and adults might enjoy the reference to the computer/cyberspace term "Wiki"). Zig has forgotten to do his homework and needs to bring a pet to school for his class project. Zig intends to stop at his Grandma's but Wikki makes an unexpected landing on a strange planet named Earth. While there, Zig decides he'll look for a pet there. He and Wikki leave the ship with a net, shrink ray, and a candy bar. They try to capture a fly, a dragonfly, a frog, and a raccoon. Which, if any, of these creature will Zig capture for his school project? The overall story is a little bland, but isn't it isn't completely dry. The book is also somewhat educational. For example, while touching something new or observing new phenomenon, Wikki's forehead lights up with a fact. ZIG AND WIKKI aren't as enduring as other characters in the Toon Books (such as Benny and Penny mouse), but, nevertheless, children will enjoy reading it.