The Get Fuzzy Experience

review by

Tony Nappa

Thirteen-year-old Tony Nappa gives you the 411 on a family-friendly cartoon book and a thrilling radio drama CD set! 

THE GET FUZZY EXPERIENCE by Darby Conley (Andrews McMeel Publishing) 

I had never heard of Get Fuzzy until the people at Andrews McMeel Publishing sent this book to me to consider for this column. Well, as you can guess, I thought that this was a funny book and I liked it.

This cartoon book is about a cat named Bucky Katt, a dog named Satchel Pooch, and their owner named Rob Wilco. They have many adventures, like when neighbors with a ferret for a pet move in next door. Eventually the ferret (Mr. Squiggly) and Bucky become hilarious enemies and some funny things happen to both of them. Rob, Bucky and Satchel's owner, is a vegetarian, which causes the meat-eating Bucky to lobby (strongly!) for meat more often. Satchel isn't the brightest dog on the block, but makes up for his lack of brains with sincerity. He has a watch (that he's named "Handy") but he can’t tell time. Bucky is a typical cat: a bit of a bully who thinks the world revolves around him. And he's always happy to  scratch up anyone who thinks otherwise.

Along with its non-stop humor, this book also has a good message about the importance of family relationships, because even though they don’t always get along Rob, Satchel, and Bucky do things to help each other out. For example when Satchel lost Handy, it was the good ol' bully Bucky, who went out to find it And then, when he discovered it was broken, he fixed it for Satchel--an unexpected kindness for his fellow family member.

Here are three of the things that I particularly liked about The Get Fuzzy Experience: It was funny in one of the strips when Rob and Satchel are standing next to each other and Bucky comes up and scratches Rob’s leg then keeps walking. Then Satchel says “Some people are passive aggressive but Bucky is passing aggressive.” Another cartoon I liked was when Bucky and Satchel were playing “This Old House.” Bucky was playing "Norm" and he was using a stapler as a pretend nail gun...until he got carried away and put staples all over the walls in their apartment.  One more funny thing was when Satchel was laying on the carpet and he said contentedly, “I am one with the carpet” then Bucky rolled his eyes toward Satchel and said “I am the one with the freak.”

People who like to read comic strips like Foxtrot or Baby Blues will like this book, and it is appropriate for kids and parents alike.

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Tony Nappa is a seventh-grader who has authored three books: Lunch Box Laughs; Lunch Box Trivia; and Lunch Box Promises