Review Blog

Oct 16 2012

Geronimo Stilton saves the Olympics by Geronimo Stilton

Geronimo Stilton Graphic Novel series, no. 10. Papercutz, 2012. 50 pages. ISBN 9781597073196.
(Ages: 7-10) The Pirate Cats have travelled back in time to compete in the first modern Olympics, back in 1894 in Athens. I's up to Geronimo and his team to prevent the Cats from winning the prizes and changing the outcome of the first modern games. But what Geronimo and his friends don't know is that the Pirate Cats have taken back to 1894 modern gadgets that will make it near impossible for them to be defeated in the Olympic events. How can they possibly stop them without changing the course of history?
The historical notes peppered throughout the graphic novel are a bonus and the subject and concept of the text will appeal to young children of both genders. Regular readers will recognise the characters from other Geronimo Stilton books however the series does not need to be read in order and the characters and the roles they play are easy enough to pick up through reading a single book alone. The humour of the characters, especially as it plays on their identities as mice and cats gives the book an added dimension which will be familiar to fans of the series. The illustrations in their coloured form are aesthetically pleasing and the text is easy to read and not too complex. This is a classic good versus bad comic with themes which appeal to younger readers and characters who have clearly defined traits and qualities which make it somewhat humorous and overall fun to read. Children who struggle with large blocks of text or enjoy visual reading will appreciate the sparse text and colourful pages.
Nicole Smith-Forrest