Llama Unleashes the Alpacalypse

April 15, 2020
Llamas, alpacas, and clones--oh my! In this sequel to Llama Destroys the World (2019), hapless Llama once again wreaks unintentional, large-scale havoc--but this time, he (sort of) saves the day, too. After making an epic breakfast (and epic mess), Llama decides to build a machine that will enable him to avoid cleaning up. No, not a vacuum or dishwasher: It's a machine that Llama uses to clone his friend "of impeccable tidiness," Alpaca, in order to create an "army of cleaners." Cream-colored Llama and light-brown Alpaca, both male, are pear shaped with short, stubby legs, bland expressions, and bulging eyes. Paired with the cartoon illustrations, the text's comic timing shines: "Llama invited Alpaca over for lunch. / Llama invited Alpaca into the Replicator 3000. / And then, Llama invited disaster." Soon the house is full of smiling Alpacas in purple scalloped aprons, single-mindedly cleaning--and, as one might expect, things don't go as planned. Mealtimes (i.e. "second lunch" and dinner) offer opportunities for the "alpacalypse" to emerge from Llama's house into the wider world. Everyday life grinds to a halt as the myriad Alpacas bearing mops, dusters, and plungers continue their cleaning crusade with no signs of stopping. That is, until the Alpacas realize they are hungry....It's all very funny, but the sight of the paler-coated Llama exploiting the darker-coated Alpaca, for whom nothing brings "more joy than cleaning," is an uncomfortable one. For many readers, uneasy optics will take the fun out of this romp. (Picture book. 4-8)

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April 1, 2020
Grades K-2 Being fonder of eating frequent, massive meals than cleaning the kitchen afterward, Llama builds a Replicator and invites Alpaca? an alpaca of impeccable tidiness ?over to step inside. The scheme works like a charm, and a flurry of electronic ZOOPs later Llama has a horde of fanatical cleaners busily at work . . . so many, in fact, that when, to relieve the crowding, he releases them on an unsuspecting world, their relentless scrubbing, sweeping, and vacuuming causes everyone to flee, screaming This is the END!! Is there any way to terminate the terrifying tide of tidiness? Happily, the irresistible scent of the extra-cheese pizza Llama is having for Second Dinner lures the entire apron-clad army back into the Replicator, and soon there is again but one Alpaca. Unhappily, that leaves two camelids with but one slice of cake between them for dessert. Young readers who chortled over Llama Destroys the World (2019) will see the obvious solution and will echo the googly-eyed gourmand's triumphant dat as he gets his just desserts in the last cartoon scene.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)