Dino Trouble (Arcade World #1)

Light-skinned, bespectacled Travis Better and light brown–skinned Journey West are best friends and video game fanatics. When Arcade World, a “magical and mysterious” new video game center where “everything’s free,” suddenly opens in a formerly abandoned building, the child population of the town of Normal is eager to start playing. Travis and Journey quickly ascend to the top two spots on every game except for Dino Trouble, but with the encouragement of Mr. E. Miniboss—the arcade’s sinister-seeming, top hat–sporting proprietor—the pair manage to secure the coveted spots. Soon, reality begins to mimic the game aesthetically and otherwise, and the duo must complete levels IRL, taking on glitter dactyls, ice cream iguanodons, and other cute-but-deadly dinos. While an abrupt end to the gaming quest stunts the story, energetic, candy-colored spreads by Zod, reminiscent of the chunky character style of Sarah Graley, enliven debut author Bitt’s comic dialogue bubbles throughout this straightforwardly plotted series opener. Ages 5–9. (Jan.)