Drooling and Dangerous: The Riot Brothers Return!

by Mary Amato, Ethan Long (Illustrator)

Overview

Orville and Wilbur Riot have never been strangers to adventure, and according to Riot Brother Rule #15, You can't do the same mission twice. So now they're back with more games, more missions, and loads more fun. One day they are spies on the trail of dangerous criminals, the next they are movie stars in the making. But whether they're flinging insects while playing Bye-Bye Buggie or switching everything imaginable around for their [D]witch [S]ay, one thing is for sure: You'll never catch these brothers with nothing to do. After all, as the Riot Brothers say, A bad day is like bad breath. It just gets worse unless you do something about it.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780823439461
Publisher:	Holiday House, Inc.
Publication date:	09/05/2017
Series:	The Riot Brothers , #2
Sold by:	Penguin Random House Publisher Services
Format:	eBook
Pages:	160
File size:	4 MB
Age Range:	6 - 9 Years

About the Author

Mary Amato is an award-winning children's book author, poet, playwright, and songwriter. Her books have been translated into foreign languages, optioned for television, produced onstage, and nominated for the children's choice awards in many states. She lives in Maryland.
Ethan Long has written and illustrated dozens of children's books. His accolades include a Theodor Seuss Geisel Medal. He lives in Florida.

Editorial Reviews

"Make something exciting happen every day." This is Rule #1 for 5th grader Wilbur and 3rd grader Orville, aka the delightfully mischievous Riot Brothers. This sequel features three stories: "The Riot Brothers Become Spies," "The Riot Brothers Star in a Movie," and "The Riot Brothers Have a Switch Say." In the first story they sneak into the teachers' lunchroom (mom's the principal) and mistake a surprise engagement ring for a stolen diamond. Then they spy on their grouchy neighbor and become convinced he has killed one of their peers! In the end they catch a thief red-handed: the raccoon who's been upsetting said neighbor's trash cans. The third story is the most original, and as charming as it is funny. The boys wake up on Saturday and decree it is Switch Day. As usual, their extremely patient, good-natured mother goes along with it ("If you can't jeat them, boin them.'), letting them be the parents, and even the principal(s) at school (since it is not in session). Some friends show up and, thanks to mom's all-encompassing keys that give them access to everything from P.E. equipment to cafeteria trays, they have a great time doing things most readers would envy! The Riot Brothers are tremendously likeable, with terrific imaginations, high spirits, and a refreshingly close relationship. Their single mom is a wonderful role model who manages the perfect mix of letting them go and reining them in. Ethan Long's illustrations are just right and definitely add to the readers' enjoyment. 2006, Holiday House, Ages 7 to 10.
—Naomi Milliner

Children's Literature

Gr 2-5-Fifth-grader Wilbur Riot and his younger brother, Orville, are fighting boredom once more in this uproarious follow-up to Snarf Attack, Underfoodle, and the Secret of Life (Holiday House, 2004). Amato presents three new humorous exploits, each told in brief, fast-paced chapters, as the boys embark on a spy mission, unwittingly star in a movie, and take their mother's place as school principal during a wacky Saturday Switch Day ("Dwitch Say"). Mom is good-natured throughout all of their antics, even getting in a joke or two of her own (sneaking plastic bugs into their sandwiches) while maintaining a level of control. An appended section compiles the brothers' many sayings ("A bad day is like bad breath. It just gets worse unless you do something about it") and instructions for games such as "Bye-Bye Buggie" and "Sirty Dockball." The black-and-white cartoons, large print, and straightforward language will attract both newly confident and reluctant readers, who will want to get in on the fun. This title stands on its own, but be prepared for youngsters to demand more about this crazy twosome.-Kristine M. Casper, Huntington Public Library, NY Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

School Library Journal

Hopping once again into the Captain's Underpants, brothers Wilbur and Orville Riot return with more lame jokes and wild, goofy games. On "daily missions" that take them from chucking plastic bugs at each other and playing basketball with rolled-up dirty socks to declaring a "Dwitch Say" and wearing each other's clothes, the two horse around at home, school and the local mall-"As soon as we got to the Gateway Shopping Mall, Mom went to one of those stinky lotion stores. Of course, it wasn't called the Stinky Lotion Store, it was called the Smelly Slime Shop. Ha-ha!" What a pair of cards. Reined in by their mother, who isn't above slipping a few plastic bugs into their food herself, the two do, at least, offer a happy picture of siblings getting along well, rather than squabbling or picking at each other. Lots of simply drawn cartoon vignettes add to the manic air, and along with such droll bons mots as "Life is boring when you're not spying on someone," the "rules" for many of the featured games are reprised at the end. A laugh Riot, with an obvious audience. (Fiction. 9-11)

Kirkus Reviews

Gr. 3-5. Amato's fun-filled title in the Riot Brothers series follows fifth-grade Wilbur and his third-grade brother, Orville, as they create more crazy games with often amusing results. The first section, in which the boys become spies, and the last part, in which they play an opposites game and get to be school principals for a day, are the most clever and entertaining. The boys' mix of silliness and creativity will resonate strongly with children, and the large print and short chapters make for easy independent reading. Long's black-and-white illustrations add significantly to the book's humor. A fun read that will leave kids eagerly awaiting sequels. Roger Leslie

Grade 2-5–Fifth-grader Wilbur Riot and his younger brother, Orville, are fighting boredom once more in this uproarious follow-up to Snarf Attack, Underfoodle, and the Secret of Life (Holiday House, 2004). Amato presents three new humorous exploits, each told in brief, fast-paced chapters, as the boys embark on a spy mission, unwittingly star in a movie, and take their mother's place as school principal during a wacky Saturday Switch Day (Dwitch Say). Mom is good-natured throughout all of their antics, even getting in a joke or two of her own (sneaking plastic bugs into their sandwiches) while maintaining a level of control. An appended section compiles the brothers' many sayings (A bad day is like bad breath. It just gets worse unless you do something about it) and instructions for games such as Bye-Bye Buggie and Dirty Dockball. The black-and-white cartoons, large print, and straightforward language will attract both newly confident and reluctant readers, who will want to get in on the fun. This title stands on its own, but be prepared for youngsters to demand more about this crazy twosome.–Kristine M. Casper, Huntington Public Library, NY

From the Publisher