The purple Smurfs /

If Belgium's two most obvious cultural contributions a style of waffle and The Adventures of Tintin are to be roundly applauded, what are we to say about the dubious third, the Smurfs? Although adults will be most familiar with the fad and cartoons from the 1980s, kids now have the chance to see the Smurfs in their original comics incarnation, and it turns out they deserve a warm welcome back. In the three Belgian originals reprinted here, the chubby, blue Hobbit-like creatures battle an outbreak of purple that turns Smurfs mean, try to invent a way to fly, and go on a frustrating hunt for a little solitude, always watched over by the smart but tough-as-nails Papa Smurf. More than a touch reminiscent of the current Sticky Burr books, these clever, entertaining stories featuring simple, charming art and a low-key message of community will prove a guilt-free recommendation for kids seeking lighthearted adventure. Just the same, you'll want to brace for the onslaught of marketing that will no doubt pave the way for the upcoming film.--Karp, Jesse Copyright 2010 Booklist

Smurf-reka! In anticipation of a film scheduled for release in 2011, this previously untranslated version of the cerulean gnomes' first solo collection (1963) offers three tales: A fly's contagious bite turns nearly all of the Smurfs into aggressive purple grunters (black ones in the French originalhere the translator wisely keeps the color change of Hanna-Barbera's 1981 TV adaptation); one Smurf's determination to fly results in multiple crashes and calamities; another's desire to find peace and quiet away from Smurf Village runs afoul of a mosquito and other hazards. Replete with pratfalls, butt-biting and like slapstick, the neatly squared-off comic-stripstyle panels look small at first glance, but coated paper and high production values make both the dialogue and the brightly colored art easy to read. Reminiscent of Asterix in tone but shorter and less sophisticated, these episodes don't show their age, and they should find a ready audience of recent Toon Book graduates. Also available: The Smurfs and the Magic Flute (ISBN: 978-1-59707-209-6; paper ISBN: 978-1-59707-208-3), a retitled reissue of their first appearance as characters in an earlier comics series. (Graphic fiction. 6-8)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.