Mr. Chickee's Funny Money

By Christopher Paul Curtis
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Noelle

Old Mr. Chickee gives 9 year old Steven an envelope with something inside, which he tells him he is confident Steven will do the right thing with. When Steven opens it, he finds a quadrillion dollar bill with the picture of James Brown on it. And so the zany adventure begins. The bill is legitimate, and soon Steven, his neighbor Russell, and Russell's dog Zoopy are being pursued by federal agents looking to recover the money. This is quite a departure for Christopher Paul Curtis, who you might know from the Newbery-winning Bud Not Buddy. This story is goofiness all the way through, with a heavy dose of information about James Brown songs and some high-level vocabulary mixed in. Add a talking dictionary, a dog the size of a bear, and some far out sleuthing equipment, and you have a wild ride. Boys especially may enjoy the fast-paced plot and some of the grosser moments. You may question who the humor is aimed at some of the time, since I doubt a 10 year old would appreciate when Steven has to say "ChakaKhan" 3 times fast as a punishment, but overall a funny if lackluster effort from a great author.