The Retired Kid (review)

"It's been a wonderful eight years," says an overscheduled Brian, "but I need a break." The former grade-schooler heads off to Florida, and he's initially thrilled by life at the Happy Sunset Retirement Community, where he spends his time lazing in the pool, fishing, and going to the movies. Soon, though, he begins to miss the good things about being part of the kidforce ("He remembered singing in the school musical, making his little sister laugh, throwing Sparky the ball!"), and he decides he's not ready to quit just yet. Though there's a touch of mature perspective to the enterprise, Agee keeps the topic squarely kid-aimed rather than selling it out for adult laughs: audiences will warm to Brian's retired plumber friend Harvey, who treats Brian's career of kid with respect ("That's hard work!"), and they'll giggle and sympathize with Brian's distaste for "watching long documentaries on TV" and "Wally's prune juice smoothies." The open, friendly text is happily partnered with open, friendly art sporting Agee's trademark soft yet neat and sturdy charcoal lines, with compact planes of daubed color contrasting with the snowy oversized pages. There's plenty of humor in the vignettes of Brian's experience, especially since he's a heart-on-his-sleeve guy whose boredom, distress, and, eventually, satisfaction, are comedically clear to viewers. Kids will immediately understand Brian's desire for a break, and they'll find it entertaining to design their own more successful versions of retirement.