Equal parts Tin Tin and The Simpsons, this full-color graphic novel —suitable for children and adults —collects Jef Czekaj's endearing tale from Nickelodeon Magazine. Join Julie and her world-famous Grampa in zany adventures as they search the high seas for Stephen, the largest shark in the world. Along the way they meet rapping squirrels, nerdy pirates, and entrepreneurial penguins, as they travel from the bottom of the ocean to the furthest reaches of outer space. Will they find Stephen? Will pirates make them walk the plank? And will Julie ever get her Grampa to stop goofing around?
...this charming children's comic overflows with humor, adventure and whimsy. It's the first day of school, and kids are reading their summer vacation essays. Julie has the most interesting tales: they involve shark hunting, rocket ships and hot-air balloon chases. While youngsters will enjoy the breakneck pace and underwear gags, there's some level of satire for every age. Czekaj's art is simple— two ovals and a crescent make up his characters' entire emotional range —but readers won't notice as the story flies by.
Publishers Weekly
Czekaj demonstrates a wonderful sense of the absurd, and though the tension in the exploits escalates, the adventures are never truly scary. Julie and Grampa get by on their intelligence and their humor, and the results are hilarious. Parents reading this aloud will have as much fun as their children.
Booklist
Jef Czekaj is a cartoonist, children's book author and illustrator, and musician. His books, Hip and Hop, Don't Stop!, Cat Secrets, The Circulatory Story, and Yes, Yes, Yaul!, were all chosen as Junior Library Guild selections. Cat Secrets was a finalist in GoodReads Best Books of 2011 and A Call for a New Alphabet was named a "Must-Read" book by the Massachusetts Center for the Book. His comic, "Grampa and Julie: Shark Hunters," ran in Nickelodeon Magazine for more than 10 years. A collection of the first three years of the comic was published with the help of a Xeric Foundation Grant and distributed by Top Shelf. He DJs for an award-winning hip-hop group under an assumed name. Jef lives and works in Somerville, MA.
