Praise for Jacob Two-Two Meets the Hooded Fang
“Mordecai Richler is a funny man, a good writer, and everyone should go out tomorrow morning and beat his local bookseller into submission if he hasn’t got a nice plump display of books titled Jacob Two-Two Meets the Hooded Fang…. It is ghastly and funny…an unbelievably believable unbelievable place with no artificial sweeteners or preservatives.” – The New York Times
“…Children will still cheer on Jacob and Child Power just as much as adults will yearn for Jacob’s escape from tyranny; kids will identify with a kid’s right to be a kid as much as adults will recognize their own tendency to sweat the incredibly small stuff. This adult sure did. Highly Recommended.” – CM Magazine
“Jacob Two-Two Meets the Hooded Fang, a delightful tale for children….” – The Waterloo Region Record
“… Dusan Petricic’s new illustrations complement the tone of the story and bring Richler’s characters to life, especially the Hooded Fang. This book would be a fabulous read aloud.” – Excellent, Resource Links
“… It was fresh… entertaining….” – kIdsWWwrite
“… Jacob Two-Two sure to win over another generation of readers…. Hurrah. Hurrah.”– Puget Sound Council for Reviewing Children’s Media
“… A funny, surreal chapter book that’s wonderfully Richler all the way….” – Canadian Children’s Book News
Praise for Jacob Two-Two and the Dinosaur
“The range and bite of this novel’s hilarity will come as no surprise to fans of Mordecai Richler’s adult fiction and of his previous book for children…Yet what’s astonishing is how much of the humor here strikes both adult and child as genuinely funny.” – The New York Times
“There is a reckless momentum to Richler’s narrative, a rhythm of slap-dash invention that mimics the frantic pace of childhood fantasy. Yet Richler’s tale is well-ventilated with adult wit.” – Maclean’s
“… a great addition…. Highly recommended….” – Excellent, Resource Links
Praise for Jacob Two-Two’s First Spy Case
“…the story combines zippy dialogue, clever magic tricks, and even a chapter in mirror writing, with opprobrious names and grossness galore…. It will undoubtedly be greeted with shrieks of joy and loud guffaws from children employing their all-too-natural baser instincts.” – The Horn Book Magazine
“The book’s centerpiece is a terrific little mind-reading swindle that Jacob and Mr. Dinglebat pull…. Readers will be baffled by the sophisticated scam, and delighted to find an appendix that teaches them how to replicate it…. [This book] is good silly fun…” – The New York Times
“Full of sly with and tweaks at adult hypocrisy, Spy Case is a treat for adults as well as young readers.” – Maclean’s
“…a stitch to read silently but even funnier to read aloud.” – Booklist
“This wonderfully funny and cunning tale was devised with two audiences in mind: the parents and their bewildering offspring. It is the trick of the clever writer of children’s stories to engage both parent-reader and child-listener in his lines. The humour and the passion of the adventure are snapped up by the one, while the other catches the sly social comment and satire. Each will pull different but equally savory morsel from this satisfying story. It scratches you where you itch.” – Books in Canada
“…Yet, it's hard to put down after you start to read it….” – KIdsWWwrite
“…kids will delight in the hilarious downfall of adults who take advantage of their authority…. The story’s suspense is fun…. Highly recommended….” – Excellent, Resource Links
Praise for Jacob Two-Two on the High Sea
“Cary Fagan does an admirable job of reviving Mordecai Richler’s child-hero … Fagan has appropriated Richler’s style with almost bang-on precision. …Adults will appreciate the effort to bring some deeper resonance to the proceedings, even if children will get a far bigger kick from characters with loopy names … children and adults should find much to enjoy in Jacob’s newest. Fagan has taken on responsibility for the series admirably, and the possibility of more Jacob adventures should make every young reader very happy.” – Featured Review from Quill & Quire
“… Fagan crafts a zany tale that kids (in the spirit of Jacob’s doublespeak) will want to read at least twice. Petricic, whose line art complements the story’s humor…” – Publishers Weekly
“... If asked the question about how this Cary Fagan novel stacks up against Richler's Two-Twos, the answer would be very well indeed. Seamlessly, the reader moves on to the crux of the matter here, which is Jacob's family's voyage from London, back to the city and land of his father's birth, Montreal, Canada.” – The Globe and Mail
“A delightful, imaginative tale of the incorrigible Jacob Two-Two…. Cary Fagan has woven a wonderfully silly, child-like adventure of ridiculous characters…. This story is a great yarn and hooks the child-like imagination in every reader regardless of age. An excellent use of a character…. Cary Fagan’s adventure story will be a hit with children and adults alike….” – Excellent, Resource Links
“… this book has high adventure and black-and-white line drawings interspersed throughout.” – School Library Journal
“… Well supplied with comical sketches from Petričić, plus a supporting cast… the episode fits into the series nicely in both breathless pacing and Roald Dahl-style zaniness … it also fits nicely between the events of Jacob Two-Two Meets the Hooded Fang (1975) and Jacob Two-Two and the Dinosaur (1987). Not too-too bad.” – Kirkus Reviews
“The goofiness of adults and clever dialogue provide many laughs, and the overall lightness of tone is appropriate for younger readers. This is an adventure story filled with action and light suspense, but without frightening episodes. There are allies as well as villains, and the villains turn out to be more silly than evil… Jacob Two-Two on the High Seas is a highly readable book, with smooth, cinematic prose at an appropriate reading level with some challenging vocabulary.” – Highly Recommended, CM Magazine
“If there’s anyone who could emulate the style and mode of Richler’s stories, it’s Cary Fagan…. Fagan is adept with the Dickensian names, flamboyant caricatures and outlandish adventures typical of the Two-Two stories.” – The Toronto Star
“…the story fits seamlessly into the flow of Jacob’s three previous adventures. … It has a suspenseful plot and a bucketful of weird and wacky characters who entangle Two-Two and his comrades…. Dusan Petricic once again illustrates Jacob’s adventures with evocative, playful, yet sophisticated cartoons. Jacob Two-Two on the High Seas will delight readers of all ages.” – The Canadian Jewish News
“Small hero, Jacob Two-Two, takes off to magical places in this hilarious four book series.” – chickaDEE
“Stacking up well against its predecessors…. The book is set during their hilarious, perilous journey onboard the aptly named SS Spring-a-Leak.” – The Chronicle Herald
“All Jacob Two-Two's many fans will welcome the appearance of a new adventure by this brave young challenger of authority. …[Cary Fagan] does a good job of mimicking Richler's sly humour while keeping up suspense.” – The Winnipeg Free Press
“Another great story from the series….” – Delaware Country Library System
“…Those with a sense of silliness and adventure will enjoy this book.” – Puget Sound Council for Reviewing Children’s Media
“…Kids will enjoy the suspense, rescue, and surprising conclusion of this humorous sea-worthy tale, highlighted by marvelous black and white drawings.” – The Children’s Hour
“…Jacob Two-Two is a loveable character and the adult characters in this book are a hoot! …this tale is engaging, funny and sweet. …this is a swashbuckling great read for sailors age 8 to 11 years old! …I think I should go back and read this book not once but two plus two plus one!” – Word of Mouse Book Reviews
“… Cary Fagan’s wonderfully imaginative new book, Jacob Two-Two on the High Seas will appeal to a new generation as they follow Jacob on an action-packed, perilous pirate-attacked voyage…. Fagan’s engaging characters and his talent for developing dialogue that appeals to budding readers combine effectively with the humorously clever drawings of award-winning illustrator Dušan Petričić.” – Canadian Children’s Book News