(2) 1-3 Plum, a "peppy little purple peacock" at the Athensville Zoo, is the only animal in his enclosure one rainy day when Scratch, a bossy, greedy raccoon, and his gang invade the zoo. The subsequent chaos disrupts what had been a bucolic home. Plum and his friends--including a domestic cat named Jeremy, a ningbing named Itch, a family of chipmunks, and a bear who lives in the nearby woods--work together to solve the problem. The comic sequel to Leave It to Plum!(rev. 9/22) is heavily illustrated with Phelan's movement-filled black-and-white drawings. Plum sports expressive curly feathers that stand at attention when he is happy but crumple when Scratch is demanding something. At important points in the story, wordless spreads convey the drama of the moment. As he did in the previous book, Phelan weaves ideas important to elementary-school students through the story. Plum accomplishes his goal by working with others; Scratch realizes that family can be made from those who care about you, even if they are not the same species; and all the zoo animals learn about leadership and problem-solving.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2023

(2) 1-3 The peacocks at the Athensville zoo have the privilege of roaming the premises, welcoming visitors with their impressive fantails with instructions to "Mingle! Guide! Delight!" Jealous ningbing Itch, a resident of the Small and Unusual Mammal Pavilion, decides that he has had enough of the free-ranging peacocks. With the help of some squirrels, Itch frames the peacocks for a series of small thefts. The ensuing drama stars Plum, a peacock with a huge heart; Jeremy, a stray kitten; Lizzie, a lonely new zookeeper; and Itch, the egotistical villain. Add a broken monorail, a habitrail that allows small mammals to journey through the zoo, and unsuspecting visitors, and the stage is set. The brief, heavily illustrated novel, like Phelan's Knights v. Dinosaurs (rev. 10/18), has the visual presentation, lively characters, and fast plot that make for a friendly experience for early-chapter-book readers. Copious spot illustrations in black and shades of gray feature a loose, energetic line. Peacock tails swirl proudly, and animals caper across the pages. By story's end, Itch has been given a new assignment that allows him to use his knowledge, and his belief in his own superiority, to good effect. The zookeeper has a new pet and the peacocks are back welcoming visitors, so "all's well at the Athensville zoo."

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2022

(1) PS Opening on a morning scene of autumnal domestic bliss, a large, bathrobe-clad bear holding a steaming mug looks out the window at falling leaves. "Sweaters ON!" the bear declares to a roomful of ­pajama-­wearing cubs, and the story takes off. Wrangling seven small bears into sweaters is no easy feat, and the gloriously chaotic effort goes on for several pages, punctuated by brief, lively speech bubbles (the book's only text, and all it needs). Phelan's (You Are My Friend, rev. 11/19; Turtle Walk, rev. 1/21) soft, colorful art, created with pencil, ink, and watercolor, amplifies the coziness of all the bears and their clothing. The littlest cub, who is perhaps the most enthusiastic, manages to unravel its green sweater completely. Finally, six bear cubs are dressed; the littlest one is stuffed into a large stocking cap that the large bear has been knitting; and out everyone goes into...the night. The humor of the ending is just right, as is the large bear's last directive--"Pajamas ON!"--leading to the story's natural evolution into a bedtime book. This tribute to the realities of parenting small children (and bears) revels in the humor and joy that can be found when the ­best-laid plans go awry.

Reviewer: Julie Roach | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2021

(2) PS Join four turtles, two large and two small, on a slow walk through the seasons of the year. Soft, smudgy lines and rounded shapes in washes of joyful color create scenes worth meandering through. The chanting text keeps a gentle rhythm throughout and invites participation: "Turtle walk. Nice and slow. // Here we go. // Are we there yet? // No." Each season has its most celebrated attributes on display in the art, from birds, bunnies, and daffodils in spring to the brighter summer sun and the rich colors and harvest of autumn. Spot art and single-page illustrations show the turtles taking it all in as they walk. Each season breaks as the turtles cuddle up together for a good night's sleep, and the next season launches with the page-turn and a new day. The final season, winter, comes with a bit of an uphill struggle but also a surprise adventure from the top of the snowy hill, before the turtles head into their cave for their long winter's rest. "Zzzzzzzz." Paired with the inviting visuals, the predictable text has just the right mix of pace and repetition to capture the attention of the very youngest listeners enjoying their own slow and wondrous walks through life's first seasons.

Reviewer: Julie Roach | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2021

(2) 1-3 After Sir Erec lies about slaying forty dragons to King Arthur, Merlin, and fellow Knights of the Round Table, he's sent into the past to face off against angry dinosaurs. Playing fast and loose with anachronisms, Phelan crafts a lighthearted romp with an engaging cast of characters. Pen-and-ink illustrations and intermittent comic-style sequential art bring swordplay to the forefront and keep the tone light enough for the book's young audience.

Reviewer: Eric Carpenter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2018

(2) PS Seven round, rosy pigs enjoy an afternoon of tree-climbing, kite-flying, and eating. Then stormy weather highlights the primary difference between a "pignic" and a picnic: lots of mud. The simple story is also nicely unpredictable and satisfyingly dependent on the illustrations. Loose watercolor washes make the sun, wind, rain, and mud feel tangible, and hoorays abound until the adorable, happily filthy pigs return home at sunset.

Reviewer: Julie Roach | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2018

(2) YA After poisoning her wealthy husband, Samantha "Snow" White's stepmother decides Samantha is next; fleeing, Samantha is rescued by seven street boys in a New York City Hooverville shantytown. Pencil, ink, and watercolor images (in mostly sepia tones) provide a cinematic noir sensibility, enhanced by the feel of movement, varied panel sizes, and judicious use of text. An original, darkly beautiful take.

Reviewer: Monica Edinger | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2016

(3) PS Penelope is rainy-day bored. Her father asks what she would do if she had her "druthers," and Penelope decides she would go to the zoo...be a pirate captain...fly to the moon. At each suggestion, Daddy joins enthusiastically in her imaginative play. Phelan captures the duo's affectionate relationship in expressive ink and watercolor illustrations, alternating between character-revealing vignettes and action-packed double-page spreads.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano

(1) 4-6 This graphic novel tells the fictionalized story of Buster Keaton's boyhood summertime stays in Bluffton, Michigan, with the Actor's Colony, from the point of view of young town resident Henry. In delicate watercolor illustrations, Phelan carefully balances the joy of his subject's outrageous pranks with poignancy; the fictional elements weave seamlessly together with the historical ones.

Reviewer: Susan Dove Lempke | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2013

(2) 4-6 Jules Verne's classic becomes the springboard for three remarkable narratives about real-life around-the-world journeys: Thomas Stevens's in 1884, Nellie Bly's in 1889, and Joshua Slocum's in 1895. Phelan successfully weaves graphically told stories with third-person narratives and the travelers' own words. The stunning volume's eye-catching illustrations are rendered in pencil, ink, gouache, and watercolor.

Reviewer: Dean Schneider | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2011

(1) 4-6 Phelan's graphic novel brings 1937 drought-wracked Kansas to life, adding a supernatural twist. While exploring an abandoned barn, eleven-year-old Jack encounters a mysterious, threatening figure. Phelan's minimalist text complements masterful panel pacing. His stunning palette of sepias, dusty browns, and charcoal grays perfectly evokes the desolate landscapes of the Dust Bowl and makes the occasional pop of color that much more striking.

Reviewer: Claire E. Gross | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2009