Pastis, Stephan. Timmy Failure: The Cat Stole My Pants. Stephan Pastis, Illus. Fiction. Timmy Failure Series; bk. 6. Candlewick, 2017. 264pp. $14.99. 978-0-7636-9733-4. OUTSTANDING. GRADES 3-6.
Northern California author and cartoonist Stephan Pastis has written another hilarious tale in Timmy Failure: The Cat Stole My Pants. While on a vacation/honeymoon in Key West with his mom and her new husband, “Dave the Doorman,” Timmy tries to pretend that the marriage didn’t happen. He deals with the loss of his imaginary polar bear friend (who has fled to Cuba) by hiring Dave’s nephew, Emilio Empanada, as his unpaid intern in his detective business, Failure, Inc. The illustrations are in b&w pen-and-ink in Pastis’ signature style (googly eyes and lips rarely shown). Readers will enjoy the interactions between all the characters, but especially those between Timmy and Emilio, who is both outspoken and a good friend to Timmy. A pirate-related mystery adds to the fun.
Kathy L. Haug, Independent