Edison Beaker, Creature Seeker: The Night Door by Frank Cammuso (review)

The pest control family business holds little appeal for Edison, but when he and his sister go out on a late-night call with his uncle Earl, he finds out that the "pests" are really dark creatures from Underwhere (Edison gets a laugh out of the homophone, as will the readers) and controlling them is Uncle Earl's true business. Unfortunately, what was supposed to be just a routine extermination (kicking monster butt) gets tricky when the evil Baron Umbra and his minions show up, kidnapping Edison's uncle and sister and demanding that Edison find the stone that will allow Baron Umbra to secure passage for his monsters into the human world. Fans of Cammuso's Salem Hyde (The Misadventures of Salem Hyde, BCCB 11/13) will immediately recognize his bubbly, energetic art in this graphic novel, and he really lets the goofiness fly in Edison's toothy, relentlessly cheerful sister, an evil crazy-horned bird, and one adorable but troublesome hamster. Edison is an appealing hero, unsure of himself but making do anyway. Fans of Winick's Hilo (Hilo: The Boy Who Crashed to Earth, BCCB 11/15) will be especially pleased with this amusing but earnest tale of good trumping evil, and they'll be eager to tag along when Uncle Earl's pager goes off again. KQG