Jake the Fake Keeps it Real by Craig Robinson

The narratives, dialogue, and sound effects leave plenty of elbow room in Blocker’s big, brightly colored panels for the expressive animal and human(ish) figures-most of the latter being light skinned except for the golden genie, the blue ogre, and several people of color in the “Sorcerer’s New Pet.”Īlert readers will find the implicit morals: know your audience, mostly, but also never underestimate the power of “rock” music. Athesius the sorcerer outwits Warthius, a rival trying to steal his spells via a parrot, by casting silly ones in Ig-pay Atin-lay in the third episode, and in the finale, a painter’s repeated efforts to create a flattering portrait of an ogre king nearly get him thrown into a dungeon…until he suddenly understands what an ogre’s idea of “flattering” might be. In the title tale, an increasingly annoyed music-hating witch transforms a persistent minstrel into a still-warbling cow, horse, sheep, goat, pig, duck, and rock in succession-then is horrified to catch herself humming a tune. In the nearly wordless “Hip Hop Wish,” a frog inadvertently rubs a magic lamp and finds itself saddled with an importunate genie eager to shower it with inappropriate goods and riches. Lachenmeyer freely borrows familiar folkloric elements, subjecting them to mildly comical twists. The theme of persistence (for better or worse) links four tales of magic, trickery, and near disasters. And in a world filled with books about wanting to fit in with the athletically gifted supercliques, this novel unabashedly celebrates the artsy crowd in all of its quirky, creative glory.Ī fast and funny alternative to the Wimpy Kid. While the artsy antics may be over-the-top at times, this is a story about something that most preteens can relate to: the struggle to find your authentic self.

Light and humorous, with Knight’s illustrations adding to the fun, Jake’s story will likely appeal to many middle-grade readers, especially those who might otherwise be reluctant to pick up a book.

Or is he? It’s up to Jake to either find the talent that lies within or embarrass himself in front of the entire school. All is well until Jake discovers that the end-of-the-semester talent show is only two weeks away, and Jake is short one very important thing…talent.

So how did Jake get accepted to the Music and Art Academy? He faked it.Īlongside an eclectic group of academy classmates, and with advice from his best friend, Jake tries to fit in at a school where things like garbage sculpting and writing art reviews of bird poop splatter are the norm. He can’t read music very well, and he can’t improvise.

Black sixth-grader Jake Liston can only play one song on the piano.

Jake the Fake Keeps it Real by Craig Robinson