2022
WISE Score
Amazon
The literary equivalent of a neon-colored juice box: high energy, zero nutritional value, but your kid will actually finish it.
4.8
4.8View →Our reviews and ratings are 100% unbiased, but as an Amazon Associate, Screenwise earns an affiliate fee if you buy a book or game by clicking one of our links. We don't get any credit if you just Google it instead :)
Look, is this Shakespeare? No. Is it even 'Dog Man'? Not really. But if you are currently in a battle to get your kid to look at a physical page instead of a tablet, this is a very effective peace treaty.
It’s loud, it’s colorful, and it’s completely harmless. It captures the exact 'Gen Alpha' energy of the YouTube channel without the actual screen time. It’s a win for literacy, even if the content is a bit shallow.
Best for the 6-10 crowd. Any older and the 'cringe' factor of the LankyBox brand starts to set in; any younger and they might need help with the word bubbles.
It leans into the high-energy, slightly manic vibe of the YouTube channel. While it models friendship and teamwork, the pacing is frantic and the tone is more 'content' than 'story.'
It uses the established LankyBox 'multiverse' of characters like Foxy and Boxy. It's a standard quest narrative that doesn't break new ground but serves the fan base well.
Extremely safe. It's a colorful graphic novel for elementary kids. No language, no gore, and the 'evil hacker' villain is about as threatening as a cartoon fly.
Its primary value is as a 'bridge book' for reluctant readers who would otherwise be watching YouTube. It's literacy practice, but don't expect deep ethical dilemmas or complex character growth.
If you’ve spent any time around a kid with a tablet in the last five years, you know the LankyBox sound: high-pitched, hyper-energetic, and relentlessly positive. It is a specific brand of chaos that feels designed to bypass adult logic and go straight to the lizard brain of a seven-year-old. When a brand that loud moves to a medium as quiet as a book, you’d expect some of that energy to get lost in translation. Surprisingly, this graphic novel manages to keep the volume at a steady eleven.
The story is basically a fever dream version of the duo’s actual career. Adam and Justin are kidnapped by an "evil hacker" who wants the secret to their online success. It’s a smart move because it mirrors the kind of stakes kids already see in their YouTube thumbnails. By bringing in their mascot characters like Foxy, the book creates a bridge between the digital world they crave and the physical page they usually avoid.
The plot isn't exactly deep, but it moves at a breakneck pace. There isn’t a single page without a bright explosion of color or a joke that feels like it was written in a comments section. For a kid who struggles to sit still for a traditional chapter book, this is the ultimate bait. It’s one of those graphic novels that hook reluctant readers because it doesn't ask them to change their personality to enjoy it; it just meets them where they are.
If you’re worried about "brain rot," I get it. The aesthetic here is very much "Internet Loud." But there is a genuine utility to this book. We’re in an era where getting a kid to swap a backlit screen for paper is a major win. This book is the gateway drug to literacy.
The dialogue is snappy, the "secret to success" is revealed to be teamwork and friendship (standard but sweet), and the vocabulary is just challenging enough to count as practice without being a chore. Once they finish this—and they will finish it fast—you can use that momentum to pivot toward some of the page-turners giving TikTok a run for its money that offer a bit more narrative meat.
Let’s be real: this is a 120-page advertisement for the LankyBox universe. It’s designed to make your kid want the plushies, the hoodies, and the next video. If you’re already drowning in Foxy and Boxy merch, this won't help your cause.
However, as far as tie-in media goes, it’s remarkably clean. There’s no mean-spirited humor or questionable "prank" culture vibes. It’s just two guys and their digital friends trying to save the world. If you can handle the bright colors and the inevitable request for a "Rocky" plushie afterward, it’s a solid addition to the bookshelf. It turns reading into something that feels like a reward rather than a requirement.
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