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Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made | April 10, 2013

by Stephan Pastis (Candlewick Press, Feb. 2013)

Meet Timmy Failure, the unfortunately-named narrator, artist, and hero of this hilarious new middle grade series. Timmy is the CEO and lead detective of Total Failure Industries. It’s a small startup for now: just Timmy and his business partner, a 300 pound polar bear named Total, headquartered in the coat closet of his mom’s apartment — but Timmy is confident that within five years, there will be a Total Failure office on every continent.  It’s the juxtaposition of this confidence with the stark reality of Timmy’s life where the book derives much of its humor, and it’s what makes Timmy such an endearing and enduring character.

Behind Timmy’s dreams of grandeur, he has troubles that can’t be solved as easily as any of his cases. He’s failing school, he’s alienated from the majority of his classmates, and his single mom is struggling to pay the bills and dating a “bowling turkey”. We catch glimpses of these issues behind Timmy’s semi-oblivious, bravado-filled narrative, and, though played out with a light touch, they evoke a unique spirit that heavily illustrated books of this type rarely capture. A majority of reviews on this title will focus on its humor and its simple-yet-expressive cartoons, and while it is undoubtedly the sight gags and one-liners that will keep readers turning the page, it is Timmy’s indomitable sense of self in the face of real, relatable problems that will stay with them long after they’ve put the book down. Here’s hoping Timmy’s next failure isn’t far behind.

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