Butler for Hire! (DJ Funkyfoot #1)

Set in the same world as the Flytrap Files, this series starter by Angleberger stars a cast of anthropomorphic mammals, plants, and more. Ever since his previous employer went bankrupt, DJ Funkyfoot, a highly trained Chihuahua butler, has been seeking another position in his dream profession (as a butler, not a DJ, as it happens). So when the services of a nanny (“Close enough!”) are requested, DJ Funkyfoot is overjoyed. He’s left to care for “the Adorable Baby Shrub” ShrubBaby, a thrill-chasing potted plant, and finds himself acquiescing to things previously unimaginable. From driving a pickle relish truck into a pond to partaking in reality TV, the ever-compliant butler is soon in over his head with ShrubBaby’s endless, often messy requests. Nevertheless, Funkyfoot does his best to care for the shrub, reminding her of nap time and fulfilling her every whim despite his hesitations. Fox’s wide-eyed cartoons and comic panels, all in green monochrome coloring, add dynamism to the book’s antics. Younger readers will appreciate the characters’ desires to buck parental expectations and learn the repercussions of always getting what they want in this comedic chapter book. Ages 6–9. Final art not seen by PW. Author’s agent: Caryn Wiseman, Andrea Brown Literary. Illustrator’s agent: Elena Giovinazzo, Pippin Properties. [em](Mar.) [/em]