This book is a funny look at the Ape and Armadillo trying to come up with ideas of taking over the world. It presents good vs. evil. It also uses imaginative plots and stories that get kids thinking about the consequences of their ideas and behaviors. The book may not be appropriate for some children but it is a decent book that depicts two funny characters who want to "scare" everyone. In the end they agree that taking over the world maynot be such a good idea after all. ( )

great graphic novel ( )

This story s about an Armidilo who wants to take over the world. However every time he comes up with another idea he is starting to think that being a bad guy is not so good. Eventually ape draws back from world domination and armadillo starts to think he is losing his friend. In the end, they do not conquer the world but do learn to work well with each other's strengths.
This story can really appeal to the readers who do not really like to read because it is not a traditional book. ( )

Ape and Armadillo Take over the world is a graphic novel that is based on Armadillos plans to take over the world but soon finds that friendship is more important than power.
This is a good book to use in the classroom when discussing personification. It can also be good to use with young children on the ASD spectrum or very kinesthetic learners. ( )

Ape and Armadillo are making plans to take over the world. But Ape isn't happy - why does he have to fight off all the monsters while Armadillo gets to ride into the castle and collect a magic wand? Ape comes up with his own plan, to get ice cream, but Armadillo thinks it isn't evil enough. Their argument grows until they both explode in anger and Ape runs away. After a little time apart, they reconcile and start a new game and this time Armadillo is a little better at compromise.

Running along the bottom of the main comics are short, silly stories featuring the two characters. Sturm's art is bold and expressive in the main comics and in a lighter palette in the secondary stories. The comic panels alternate between full-page panels and several different arrangements of two or three small panels.

This easy reader is listed as a Level 3, grades 2-3, for advanced beginners. This would be about right since the rapid change from the real world to the imaginary world, the small type and faint illustrations of the running gags below the main story, and the critical thinking skills required will need a more advanced reader to decipher them.

While I do sometimes look for more advanced easy readers, right now and for the foreseeable future I'm focusing on emergent readers. For beginning chapter books, I'm looking for more positive, child-friendly titles. This just struck me as very negative, especially Armadillo's escalation to blowing up the world and Ape's miserable retreat.

Verdict: I know Toon books get strong reviews, but they tend to circulate little, if at all, in my library and definitely not the more complex high-level ones. This isn't one I'd recommend unless you have a strong fan base for Toon books.

ISBN: 9781943145096; Published 2016 by Toon; Borrowed from another library in my consortium