Four more minitales (Patrick: A Teddy Bear’s Picnic and Other Stories, 2011) take the irrepressible ursine from mealtime to bathtime to bedtime, with a side venture out into the yard to “help” daddy rake leaves.
In the opener, the round-eared, red-nosed tyke initially regards the peas on his plate as “little green balls of MUSHY POISON!” but after negotiations, he ultimately downs them with generous helpings of ketchup and jelly as his revolted (“Yuck!”) but indulgent mother looks on. Misadventures with a weeding fork, a water hose, bath toys and large quantities of bubble bath follow—capped at last with much protestation and foot dragging on the way to bed. Underscoring all this cozy domesticity, the anthropomorphic Patrick and his parents look like teddy bears with a certain amount of koala in their DNA. The stubby figures, pale colors and soft-edged lines on view in Hayes’ sequential scenes hark back to Lillian Hoban’s illustrations for her (then) husband Russell’s classic A Bargain for Frances (1970) and its sequels.
Another charmer from the reliable Hayes; newly independent readers won’t need any condiments to gobble it down. (Graphic easy reader. 4-6)Pub Date: Aug. 6, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-9351-7934-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: TOON/Candlewick
Review Posted Online: June 26, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2013
Categories: GENERAL GRAPHIC NOVELS & COMICS
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BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
What happens if your spaceship crash-lands on an alien planet and your vocabulary happens to be very limited?
A cute-looking, backpack-carrying robot in stylish red boots finds itself stuck on an alien planet when a “Bang! Bang! / Bang! Bang!” sends it scurrying. The story that ensues is told in a simplified comic-book format of one or two panels per page and the occasional double-page spread. The little robot has a vocabulary that consists mainly of one word: “Blip.” Uttered as a statement, a question, or an exclamation, the word is always in a speech bubble, as the form dictates. As the robot wanders along using its one word with the creatures it encounters, it finds itself in all sorts of situations, from the scary to the bewildering. Richards’ dynamic page composition will keep readers engaged, and his very expressive little robot will keep them rooting for a happy ending. Along the way readers will find plenty of details to catch their eyes. Not everything is as it looks. In the end the robot returns to its ship only to find a skirt-wearing robot in stylish orange boots busily fixing its own ship. The happiness they both experience upon finding another of their own kind is expressed in one big and satisfying mutual “BLIP!” While kids won’t pick up much vocabulary, it’s hard to imagine a better lesson in how to read the format.
A sweet introduction to sequential art. (Graphic early reader. 4-6)Pub Date: Sept. 20, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-935179-98-6
Page Count: 40
Publisher: TOON Books & Graphics
Review Posted Online: July 2, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2016
Categories: GENERAL GRAPHIC NOVELS & COMICS
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When a sea gull snatches his hat, a pirate sets out to get it back.
A stern chase is a long chase, as this wordless import (from Spain) demonstrates. Enraged by the theft of his skull-and-crossbones hat, the captain charges off in a ship crewed by an elephant, a crocodile, and a mosquito. Various adventures later, from a storm to an encounter with a huge, green, one-eyed sea monster, the pursuers catch up at last—only to find the hat repurposed into a nursery. Fans of Jon Klassen’s hat dramas may be disappointed by what happens next: The captain shrugs, hugs the provident parent, and departs with a friendly wave. The white captain’s massive orange beard shines out from González’s loosely drawn and brushed nautical scenes; with that to focus on, even younger viewers should have no trouble sailing through the sequential panels. That the sea monster is entirely benign and even helpful also adds to the story’s friendliness to the younger edge of the audience range. Humor abounds, from the absurd casting choices for Barbosa’s crew to the moment when the chortling mariners add an orange pigtailed wig to the captain’s exposed, bald pate.
A droll, rather sweet addition to the flood of “I want my hat back” tales. (Graphic adventure. 4-6)Pub Date: April 2, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-5415-4154-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Graphic Universe
Review Posted Online: Dec. 16, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2019
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