Can You Hear a Penguin Fart on Mars?: And Other Excellent Questions

Jop and Blip Wanna Know #1

by Jim Benton

Two curious robots seek the answers to life’s most pressing—and hilarious—questions in this full-color graphic novel series written and illustrated by New York Times bestselling author Jim Benton, the creator of Franny K. Stein and Catwad!

So, you want to know if you can hear a penguin fart on Mars?

Great question! There may never have been a better question asked about a penguin!

What’s your starting point?

Well, first you’re going to need a penguin…

Robot scientists Jop and Blip set out to answer three seemingly odd yet totally valid questions—Could we hear a penguin fart on Mars?, Can you make a dragon sandwich?, and Why do we need two ears? Along the way, they’ll learn other important facts about the atmosphere on Mars, the connection between dinosaurs and birds, the digestive system, the senses, sorting truth from fiction, the way herrings communicate with farts, and so much more!

Using their own brand of logic, critical thinking skills, and humor, Jop and Blip model how to investigate something they’re curious about without looking up the answer. Because with Jop and Blip, everything is worth knowing!

Genres: Graphic Novels, Humor, Childrens, Nonfiction, Juvenile, Middle Grade, Animals

96 pages, Hardcover

Published June 29, 2021

About the author

Benton began his career in a custom design t-shirt shop where he started designing his own characters. At the same time, Jim did illustrations and artwork for magazines and newspapers. People magazine named him "the most visible cartoonist in America" .

Benton also created greeting cards and worked in the magazine and publishing industry. In 1998, his SpyDogs characters became an animated series, The Secret Files of the Spy Dogs, that aired on Fox Kids. Licensing his own creations brought them widespread attention on products, such as It's Happy Bunny, The Misters, Just Jimmy and more.

Benton currently lives in Michigan, where he operates out of his own studio.

Reviews

[Ms. B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Young readers who like humor will enjoy this one.

[Jesse · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this so much! What a fun & funny way to share interesting information with kids! Definitely checking out the rest of the series!

[Nessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute and silly graphic novel about asking questions and doing research for the answers. Starting with.... Can you hear a penguin fart on Mars?

[Carrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

My 8 year old picked this up at the library today and read it in one sitting. The humor kept him entertained while there were a few facts thrown in. Great for somewhat reluctant readers.

[Sherry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jim Benton is well known for writing goofy, funny, science-y fiction that kids enjoy, and this new graphic series looks to be no different. Blip-the-robot asks all kinds of "excellent questions" (which are actually random, fever-dream types of "science" questions) and Jop-the-robot provides the answers, which are then discussed and rehashed by the two in a frenetic, almost slapstick style. Although I vastly prefer the style of the Franny K. Stein books, today's kiddos will respond to Jop and Blip with enthusiasm.

[Michelle (FabBookReviews) · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Jop! I think something is wrong with my brain!”
”Why’s that, Blip?”
”I’ve been thinking up some really weird questions.”
”Weird, huh? Like when you asked how far a porcupine can shoot its quills?” …

For readers familiar with the zany, funny work of Jim Benton: get ready for something extra fun in a children’s non-fiction read! And for readers unfamiliar with the zany, funny work of Jim Benton: well, the same applies! Robot friends Jop and Blip have a pretty big undertaking ahead: little robot Blip has quite a lot questions rolling around in his head and is hoping to get Jop’s help in getting to the the bottom of three big questions. In this first series of entry of Jop and Blip Wanna Know: Can You Hear a Penguin Fart on Mars?: And Other Excellent Questions, our two protagonists will find out: the answer to the titular question of whether or not you can hear a penguin fart on mars; whether you can make a dragon sandwich (yes, that’s right, a dragon sandwich!); and lastly, why we need two ears. At just under one hundred pages, the volume is approachable and not intimidating for readers of various comfort levels, while the graphic novel layout is extremely welcoming for readers who enjoy exploring illustrated or unconventional non-fiction. Benton’s sideways humour, use of kooky asides and colourful illustrations- in tandem with scientific facts and scientific explanations- make for lighthearted and informative reading- a win all-around that confirms Jop and Blip’s belief that ”everything is worth knowing!”. Readers who appreciate their informational non-fiction with generous dose of zing and/or humour- along the the lines of the Disgusting Critters series, Science Comics series, Lesser Spotted Animals, or How to Promenade with a Python (And Not Get Eaten)- might especially delight in the learning and laughs to be had with Jop and Blip Wanna Know. I am already looking forward to read about what questions the two friends are going to tackle in the next book!

I received a copy of this title courtesy of Benton Arts in exchange for an honest review. All opinions and comment are my own.

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interspersed between the jokes and the confusing, bizarre transformations of the main character robots are an amazing number of facts and speculations that make the reader think. While some of the things in the book are legends rather than proven facts, even those are interesting and worth reading, as they are blended with ideas about thought and perception. Just don't tell the kids that while they're reading the book...
By coming up with seemingly absurd questions that can have real-world answers, the book does a great job of teaching little bits of science, history, linguistics and a bunch of other subjects, in odd ways. This is a much better book than I expected.

[Laurie Hnatiuk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jop and Blip Wanna Know: Can You Hear a Penguin Fart on Mars?: And Other Excellent Questions is a hilarious early graphic novel for our young readers. Jop and Blip are two curious robots, and readers are invited to go on their inquiry ride of answering the question Can You Hear A Penguin Fart on Mars? This question brings up related questions and questions previously asked, all the while revealing what they have learned and learning as they work together to answer Jop's current query. This book is a great find, and I am looking forward to more Jop and Blip Wanna Know questions. A great addition to promote curiosity and collaboration.

[Raven Black · Rating 5 out of 5]

June/July 2021 cannot come soon enough! I want to recommend this book ALL THE TIME. A non-fiction question book done in a humorous fiction way. I am sure more than one kid has wondered if you can hear a penguin fart like grandma does, why do we have two nostrils and if dragons are real. You will learn this and more (such as who invented the sandwich). As the copy I read was an ARC I am not sure what the afterwards look like, but there will be full color and at least a few activities you can do as well.

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun graphic novel. This is for your beginning chapter books when they’ve worked past level four readers and are looking for a little bit more difficulty. While this is a fiction book its set up to answer those strange questions that kids ask like “can you hear a penguin fart in space”. There’s also a section on wording like knight with a “k” and night with an “n” and then we end up with some other just really fun questions. Jim Benton’s humor comies through loud and clear with fantastic illustrations to match. Readers of any age are going to find this book to be a lot of fun.

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Graphic Novel
Benton's new series weaves humor and facts for elementary level readers. They meet two robots, Jop and Blip, who want to learn about everything. They ask all sorts of questions to gain information and then share their discovery process with readers. Clever illustrations bring the readers in to learn along with Jop and Blip.
First in this series.

[Carissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although Jop and Blip are silly robots, they DO ask (and find answers for!) some interesting questions! The book has the size and weight of a traditional early chapter book and a similar amount of text to a Bad Guys book, but some of the vocabulary might be challenging (atmosphere, digestive) for someone just learning to read.

[Mary T · Rating 5 out of 5]

I grabbed this for my sons' sake, but I actually enjoyed it more than I thought I would. The author's name and style looked familiar, and I realized later that he did the Dear Dumb Diary series. This one is a nice, quick read with some neat facts interspersed throughout. Looking forward to more in this series!

[Ellon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a decent book. You end up learning a lot in a fun way but it's also pretty chaotic, which I don't love. There are also random activity pages between the chapters (find the two robots that are the same, color a dinosaur, etc.) and, unfortunately, those dissuade me from purchasing this book for my school library.

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jop and Blip answer any questions they come up with. In this 1st volume, they answer if you can hear a penguin fart on Mars, if you can eat a dragon sandwich, and why we have 2 ears? Includes a few brain puzzles throughout. Jop and Blip's back and forth makes it a fun non-fiction for fans of silly graphic novels.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Did I choose this because I knew a book with fart in the title would be popular on school visits? Of course I did. But you know what, there are good facts about space, birds, dinosaurs, and more in here, and it's silly and a quick read. I think it will be very popular on school visits and I think readers will love it, too. Just perfect for your 7-9 year old reluctant and non-reluctant readers.

[Ellice · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do love Jim Benton (and not just because he's Detroit-based and I've met him). Despite the kid-catnip title, this is a funny book that offers a lot of interesting facts (and not just about penguin farts). I think a lot of kids would love this book.

[Jess Smiley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jim Benton has done it again with Jop and Bip Wanna Know! Packed with Benton’s signature wackiness and charm, curious minds will find out if you can hear a penguin fart on Mars and they‘ll wanna know when book #2 will come.

[Teresa Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun way for young kids to learn about odd information. Most of it is silly facts but that is what appeals to kids, so I think they will like it. It is too simple for older students. I liked the illustrations. It is a quick read. (review by Jensen, 11th grade)

[Andréa]

Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book through Edelweiss.

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jop and Blip, two curious robots, investigate these seemingly odd, silly questions using their own brand of logic, critical thinking skills, STEM knowledge, and humor.

[Jess · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm surprised by how much I actually learned from this book.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun and the title should grab kids attention!

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

For those kids who like "Weird But True" books

[Matt Glaviano · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick, colorful read, chock full of little tidbits of information. A fun and easy read for trivia buffs and fans of interplanetary avian fart jokes.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the humor. Awesome little book!

[Kristy Cooper · Rating 4 out of 5]

My seven-year-old felt there was a missed opportunity to actually send a penguin to Mars.

[Kristin · Rating 2 out of 5]

This isn’t my sense of humor but I think this would appeal to reluctant readers, young graphic novel fans, and I appreciated the facts shared.

[Kristal · Rating 4 out of 5]

So many puns and fun facts!

[Helen · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book answers three questions children might have. It's in graphic novel form.