The Adventures of Kung Fu Robot: How to Make a Peanut Butter, Jelly, and Kung Fu Sandwich

This madcap series opener plants itself squarely in the realm of surrealist inanity, echoing the over-the-top goofiness of Ren and Stimpy and SpongeBob SquarePants. Kung Fu Robot knows two things: how to fight and how to make amazing peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. The former skill comes in handy with the latter—his sandwich-making features dramatic moves, abundant splatters, and many shouts of “hiiieeeeyaah!” When the villainous Kung Pao Chicken’s army of ninjas steals all of the peanut butter and jelly in the city, Kung Fu Robot and his nervous human sidekick, Marvin, have no choice but to open up a jar of delicious righteousness. Newcomer Bays captures their endeavor in overlapping trapezoidal panels, tons of all-caps sound effects, and a bold and chunky cartooning style with a heroic primary color scheme. The frenetic action isn’t always easy to track, however, and although the artwork is polished, Kung Fu Robot’s martial arts moves (and all-around obliviousness) start to get repetitive before long. An app, which can be used in tandem with the book, is also available. Ages 7–12. (Mar.)