School Library Journal Review
Gr 2-4-Rutabaga is on the prowl for adventure, but not the kind that most knights and warriors yearn for. As an adventure chef, Rutabaga, along with his magical walking kettle, Pot, explores magical lands and looks for rare ingredients and exotic monsters to cook in order to make the most amazing meals possible. He first follows a group of knights on the hunt for a giant and possibly tasty dragon and soon ends up cooking for everyone, from kings and royal pets to barbarians and ghosts. Things hardly ever go as planned, however, and Rutabaga often has to concoct an exquisite dish to solve his problems and help his friends. As the story continues, Rutabaga doesn't really transition between adventures and more or less just wanders off until he happens on his next quest, making this selection feel more like a collection of short comics than an actual book. Still, author Colossal perfectly mixes action and humor, similar in style to "Adventure Time" comics writer Ryan North, only with simple enough language to please the chapter book-reading crowd. And his simple, manga-influenced illustrations will be just as easily accessible. A promising first course in a series that could really take off.-Peter Blenski, Greenfield Public Library, WI (c) Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Once readers get used to the idea of a nearly bald roving chef who saves the day by cooking delicious food for the warriors in his medievalesque fantasy world, they'll read through his exploits voraciously. Accompanied by dragon-fighting friends Winn, Manny, and Beef, and his walking cauldron, Pot, Rutabaga wanders the land, "searching for strange and magical ingredients," inventing dishes like Roasted Mud Leech and Ghost Mushroom Salad. In episodic escapades. He tracks the monster Korkanis by identifying the Pyka's Palm seeds in its droppings and challenges a crabby one-eyed cook to a cook-off. ("You're going down, old man," Rutabaga snaps, although his bowling-ball head takes the sting out of his tough-guy talk.) Newcomer Colossal's stories bubble with inspiration, laughs, and even a few poignant moments. Readers will rejoice to know that more books are on the way, although it will be a while before they're willing to try Rutabaga's recipes: "1) First off, Korkanis meat is tough! Get out your meat mallet... 2) and just go to town on it!" Ages 8-12. Agent: Charlie Olsen, InkWell Management. (Mar.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
