(2) K-3 I Like to Read: Comics series. Cepeda, creator of many excellent first-step beginning readers (I Hop; I Help; I Dig), offers a comic for more experienced readers. "What could go wrong?" a father asks his son while packing the car for a camping trip. Well, for starters, the campground is full, but the pair makes the best of a less-comfortable campsite down the road. When it turns out -- "Uh-oh" -- that Dad forgot the tent poles, they take the opportunity to sleep under the stars. Mostly minor setbacks (skunks, rain) force them to enjoy the experience they're having instead of the one they'd expected. Digital illustrations in aquas, greens, and browns have an ink-and-watercolor feel that suits the low-stakes outdoor adventure. Readers will need some fluency to navigate multiple word bubbles per page, multiple speakers, and compound and multisyllabic words with a number of sound blends and linguistic quirks. Most of the language is likely to be familiar, though, and the illustrations provide support for less common words, such as the night sky full of stars around "Venus...and the Big Dipper...and Capella...and Polaris." When father and son get home, Mom asks how the trip went, and the child shouts, "Everything went wrong...It was great!" A solid lesson for all of us on how to navigate life's little disappointments.

Reviewer: Adrienne L. Pettinelli | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2024

(1) K-3 I Like to Read: Comics series. Pickle (a dog) and a bird friend decide to drive to Clover Farm to get some strawberries and fresh cream, but soon after they set out, the car breaks down. Instead of listening to the bird's advice ("check the engine"), Pickle exclaims, "This car is junk!" and starts a quest to purchase a new car. This beginning reader in comics format has two to six panels and multiple lines of dialogue per page, so it's best for readers who are building independence; short words and ample repetition support practice. The digital illustrations are in restful shades of blue and green that are a fine match for the story's gentle tone. The use of patterns -- particularly polka dots -- adds a sense of whimsy and visual interest as Pickle goes through the trials and tribulations of car shopping. He wants the fast car until he gets pulled over on his test drive; then he knocks over a bin of oranges while trying out an oversized SUV. And let's not even talk about the price of the fancy car. Eventually, Pickle's mechanic suggests that perhaps filling the old car's gas tank and getting a tune-up might be a better solution. Amusing and highly entertaining.

Reviewer: Adrienne L. Pettinelli | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2024

(1) K-3 I Like to Read: Comics series. Emberley's crew of critters (I Did It!, rev. 9/22) returns for another exciting early-reader comic. This fast-paced story begins before its title page with a caped reptile launching a paper airplane. The plane's circuitous flight crosses two pages and multiple panels and ends at our friendly monster, toy elephant, masked raccoon, shimmery robot, and tiny penguin. It's a party invitation, inspiring the friends to immediately take off for the bash with a collective "LET'S GO!" A series of setbacks (from fatigue to snow to large bodies of water) impedes the crew's progress; however, cooperation and creative problem-solving prevail. The creatures use scraps of paper torn from the very pages of the book they are in to create skis, boats, and more and continue their journey. Emberley's cartooning is complex and compelling, while the dialogue-only text is intentionally repetitive and charismatic. Energetic pencil illustrations convey a strong sense of animation between fluctuating panel configurations and page layouts. The digital coloring is expressive, shifting between modeled realism and completely flat blocks of color--signaling shifts in tone, time, and/or setting. Imaginative, playful, and deceptively unassuming, this comic for early readers serves as a respectful (and exceedingly entertaining) introduction to the comics format.

Reviewer: Patrick Gall | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2023

(2) K-3 I Like to Read: Comics series. Meisel (See Me Play, rev. 7/19; and others) is an accomplished creator of early-reader picture books; in his first comic for beginning readers, Dog and Cat are napping when the sky darkens and the first rumble of thunder wakes them. Dog reacts with wide-eyed fear; insouciant Cat plays with a mouse toy. As the thunder grows louder, Dog tries several hiding spots--behind the couch, under a cushion, in a closet--but can't find a place that feels safe. Cat, meanwhile, keeps playing. (When Dog screams, "HIDE! HIDE!" Cat calmly replies, "I found my duck.") The pen-and-ink illustrations are expressive and humorous, and Meisel captures the body language of animals--particularly Dog, who we see shake, cower, and become increasingly undone. The book uses three types of lettering: one for narration, another for speech bubbles, and a third for sound effects in the illustrations. The narration text is a lighter blue in yellow text boxes (potentially harder for new readers to spot); however, the words ("Dog is scared") aren't telling anything the illustrations aren't making clear, so children of all reading abilities will be able to follow the story. In the end, Dog falls asleep and dreams about chasing the storm away, and upon waking, it's gone. Dog feels like a superhero, Cat continues to be unconcerned, and readers will be amused.

Reviewer: Adrienne L. Pettinelli | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2023

(2) K-3 I Like to Read: Comics series. A red-nosed creature wearing a green-and-purple-striped onesie attempts a series of activities: building a tall block tower, climbing a rope and a tree, catching a ball. Each try begins with optimism ("I can do it!" "Can I do it?" "I want to do it!" "I think I can do it") but ends with frustration and discouragement: "I can't do it!" Early efforts at bike riding seem similarly destined for disappointment--but the positive difference in outcome is a product of perseverance. Although the results aren't yet mastery level, the protagonist--with a little help from friends raccoon, robot, elephant, penguin, and alligator--gains confidence and enjoyment without the pressure of perfection. The all-dialogue text, with just a handful of words in total, is easy to read and will give new readers, too, the self-assurance finally enjoyed by our main character. Lively cartoony illustrations with plenty of white space provide humor and relatability. The creature's emotions are on full display (e.g., when it kicks over the block tower; walking, slumped shouldered, away from an uncaught ball), making its ultimate triumph that much sweeter.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2022

(2) K-3 I Like to Read Comics series. The Super Duper Seven includes Electro-Elephant ("I can charge your phones"), Hypno-Hippo ("I put bad guys to sleep"), and Hungry Kitty, who keeps eating the smaller team members. This creates an ongoing branding ­problem, as the Seven become Six and then Five, and the team has to keep buying new shirts. When the heroes run out of money and begin to have (understandable) difficulty recruiting new members, they must consider forming an alliance with a superhero they'd previously rejected. This mid-level beginning-reader comic is silly fun. The cycle of introducing and reintroducing the team allows for repetition that adds to the humor, especially useful with some of the more challenging phonetic feats (words like polka, quarter, and elephant). Hamilton draws with a thin, loose line, and his characters feature tiny eyes in giant heads, visually setting a playful tone. The panels are rich with detail, but the illustrations also clearly support the plot for less confident readers. With their somewhat-less-than-super power--e.g., the hero of the story, Polka Don, can make things with string--this group has its origin in many a children's grassroots club. Long may the Super Duper...Four reign!

Reviewer: Adrienne L. Pettinelli | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2022

(2) K-3 I Like to Read: Comics series. In this beginning reader in comic format, a kid named Molly pouts when instructed to clean up her toys. She is soon distracted by the sight--and sound--of a Hulkish green giant stomping outside. The giant, named Jack, is also a child; Jack plays with Molly's home, neighborhood, and even Molly herself as if everything were a toy, moving items and people around haphazardly. After the giant ignores his parents' call to tidy up and join them for a picnic, Molly eventually stands up to Jack: "Stop! This is a giant mess! This is your mess. You must pick it up." Jack reluctantly follows Molly's direction, but runs away before the job is complete, leaving some silly visual surprises for readers to discover. The narrative is told exclusively through sequential art, rendered digitally with a clean line, purposeful paneling, and a vivid palette. Humor abounds in the visual imagery; for example, Jack mistakes a construction vehicle for a dragon and is shown shoving items under the grass. Parts of the dialogue repeat through the characters' parallel stories, and word balloons afford beginning readers an opportunity to read with the comfort of hefty white space. Sound effects and exclamations written outside of balloons add detail but might be challenging for some new readers to follow. At story's end, Molly offers to assist with the remaining mess, encouraging us to consider the character's (possible) growth: "Mom! Can you help?"

Reviewer: Elisa Gall | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2021