This enigmatic tale challenges readers to think critically and unravel the truth, keeping them engrossed until the very last page. This novel is an absolute must for young mystery enthusiasts.

This book is absolutely ridiculous in the BEST way possible.

The art and situations are simple but not dumbed down. The characters are funny and full of playful word choices that appeal to everyone who loves a good fart joke.

I can't imagine an easier sell to my incoming 3rd graders. And yes, I laughed too. out loud.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance digital copy of this book.

Well, i tried to read this, but my copy in Adobe Digital Editions only shows me the top of each page.

I will say that the art seems good and the story seems to move at a good pace (from what I could see)

Super-Serious Mysteries #1: The Untimely Passing of Nicholas Fart is one of those titles which, as a librarian and a former classroom teacher, I'm of two minds about:

I think the humor and the art style will definitely be popular with kids, and will make the book a motivating read for them. At the same time, by the middle of the book it becomes clear that this is a one-note joke that wears its welcome thin, at least for an adult reader. Kids might get more mileage out of page-after-page of fart jokes, but at the same time some of the wordplay might not translate as well to the elementary readers.

The book is definitely silly enough and engaging enough to grab the eyes of younger readers, but I question whether it has the power to hold kids' attentions as yet another variation on "he who smelt it dealt it" (some of which are very forced) is introduced.

Super-Serious Mysteries #1, The Untimely Passing of Nicholas Fart, Author John Crute and Illustrator James Rey Sanchez, Publish Date: 5/23/23

Super-Serious Mysteries #1, The Untimely Passing of Nicholas Fart by John Crute, is the first in what I hope will be a continued series. This children’s book is aimed at ages 6 – 10. I love this book! I’ve worked in Pediatrics. Farts and Pooh are key obsessions for boys this age. The author is very clever in that by adding girl characters to the story, girls will love the book as well.

The story is cute and funny. It made me think of the game “Clue,” and I keep waiting for the Professor to show up in the library with a smelly candlestick. Character development is fantastic with each character having a larger-than-life personality. The illustrations are remarkable and enhanced the story 100-fold.

I would certainly recommend this book to children ages 6 – 10. Every parent, child, grandparent, and elementary school teacher should have a copy as I believe it would be the favorite of many children. I’m still a child at heart and I thought the book was excellent!

I am grateful to Author John Crute and Illustrator James Rey Sanchez, NetGalley, and Harper Collin’s Children’s Book for allowing me the opportunity to review this Advanced Reader’s Copy. This is a voluntary review, and all comments and opinions are entirely my own.

This was complete goofiness, silliness, and fart jokes - and I loved it! Not everything needs to be some deep emotional book. Save some space for the fun stuff. My niece really enjoyed this too. She was laughing so much and it was such a fun time reading it together!

If you have kids then you know how much they love to talk about bodily functions. My kids love the saying "you smelt it you dealt it" so obviously after I read my Netgalley ARC of this I had to immediately order this graphic novel for my kids. It was hilarious. The illustrations were great and overall just a fun read.

If you are looking for a deep, intelligent book with many layers and maybe even some learning opportunities hidden within the book, then I am very sorry to say that this book is not for you.
However, if you want your child to laugh, giggle, make faces, snort, and do other weird things that indicate that the child in question is having a fun time, then this book definitely is for you (or for your child).
The story is equal parts gross and hilarious, making it a perfect mix for laughs and a fun read. As a graphic novel, it has big, bold, and colorful drawings, the font is easy to read, and the ratio of text to pictures is quite good also. I loved the characters – it is not hard to tell that they are of different ethnic backgrounds, and they each have different looks.
Lately, I have started to look at books like this with some sort of quiet gratitude. They are the perfect gateway to convert any self-proclaimed book-hating kid into an avid reader. Reading does not have to be hard, it does not have to take a week to finish reading a book. You do not have to learn something from every page, it is perfectly fine to read just because it makes you laugh, just because it is so silly and entertaining.