SNUG HARBOR STORIES

In this sophomore volume of collected comic strips (Wallace the Brave, 2017), three friends embark upon outdoorsy, giggleworthy escapades.

In sleepy Snug Harbor, Rhode Island, Wallace lives with his family: his fisherman father, mischievous little brother, and (mostly) patient mother. He spends his days joined by his friends, spunky, orange-tressed Amelia and square-headed Spud, who has a kewpie curl of lavender spiky hair. In a series of loosely strung vignettes, readers follow Wallace through a year, hitting kid-anticipated milestones such as summer vacation, Halloween, and Christmas. Despite a contemporary setting where electronics in the form of game consoles and smartphones are present, Wallace and his gang spend most of their time outdoors, powered by their imaginations in their small enclave, giving this a pleasant throwback feel and spotlighting lives unencumbered by both technology and overscheduling. Each page is populated with a few large, bright, full-color panels with a gentle emphasis on family and friendship. Expect fans of Lincoln Peirce’s Big Nate series to find kinship here. In the small cast of characters, Wallace, his family, and his friends all present white, although his teacher, Mrs. Macintosh, has brown skin. Included aftermatter encourages young readers to engage in their own nature-inspired crafts with instructions for making a winter mobile and a DIY field book.

Gentle guffaws abound in this bucolic charmer.