"Raúl the Third's drawing will dazzle you. Cathy Camper's writing will have you on the edge of your seat. This book is the complete package-drama, humor, pathos, joy, rice, beans! So refreshing to see el espíritu mexicano come to life in such a fun, well-paced romp to the center of the earth!" -Mimi Pond, author of Over Easy and winner of the PEN Center USA Award for Graphic Literature Outstanding Body of Work
"Raúl the Third's drawing will dazzle you. Cathy Camper's writing will have you on the edge of your seat. This book is the complete package-drama, humor, pathos, joy, rice, beans! So refreshing to see el espíritu mexicano come to life in such a fun, well-paced romp to the center of the earth!" -Mimi Pond, author of Over Easy and winner of the PEN Center USA Award for Graphic Literature Outstanding Body of Work
"Solidly uplifting graphic novel that offer plenty of comedy, adventure, information, and magnificent art."-Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
"Solidly uplifting graphic novel that offer plenty of comedy, adventure, information, and magnificent art."-Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
"This book is dynamite." -Junot Díaz, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
"This book is dynamite." -Junot Díaz, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
"This gonzo graphic novel. celebrates Latino culture, provides memorable dialogue in Spanish, and offers a highly detailed picture of Aztec mythology. Reluctant readers will be drawn to the series by its refreshing, anything-goes attitude and multicultural flavor."—Common Sense Media, 5-star review
"This gonzo graphic novel. celebrates Latino culture, provides memorable dialogue in Spanish, and offers a highly detailed picture of Aztec mythology. Reluctant readers will be drawn to the series by its refreshing, anything-goes attitude and multicultural flavor."—Common Sense Media, 5-star review
"Satisfyingly over-the-top mayhem."-Kirkus Reviews
"Satisfyingly over-the-top mayhem."-Kirkus Reviews
"The storytelling is inventive, juggling cultural references, surreal circumstances, and educational impulses."-School Library Journal
"The storytelling is inventive, juggling cultural references, surreal circumstances, and educational impulses."-School Library Journal
"The wild antics, exuberant illustrations, and frequent Spanish will launch the Lowriders straight into many hearts."-Booklist
"The wild antics, exuberant illustrations, and frequent Spanish will launch the Lowriders straight into many hearts."-Booklist
06/01/2016
Gr 4–8—Lupe, Elirio, and Flapjack—an impala, a mosquito, and an octopus—work in a garage, repairing and detailing cars. When they discover their cat, Genie, is missing, they follow his tracks to a corn maze that turns out to be a trap used by the Aztec god Mictlantecuhtli to steal the skeletons of wayfarers. Can the trio challenge him in the underworld, rescue their pet, and return safely home? The artwork is intricate but accessible; the textures and colors invite imitation. The storytelling is inventive, juggling cultural references, surreal circumstances, and educational impulses. As in the previous volume, Lowriders in Space, the dialogue combines Spanish and English slang, with frequent footnotes and definitions for the Spanish terms. This reinforces a narrative distance created by the flat affect of the characters and the woodenness of the included vocabulary. Perhaps the book is trying to do too much, incorporating lucha libre, mythology, Day of the Dead imagery, fanciful geology lessons, and multilingual puns all into one narrative. Or perhaps readers just need to go along for the ride, bajito y suavecito. VERDICT A jumble of creative ambition, the compelling visuals and scattershot storytelling will appeal to those not distracted by the roller-coaster plotting and jagged, more-is-more approach. Purchase where the first installment is popular.—Benjamin Russell, Belmont High School, NH
