Gr. 1 - 3 Baloney and his friends are back in their second graphic novel. The differing personalities of the ensemble provide much of the humor, such as when Baloney writes a theme song for the group. Peanut and Bizz are excited about their inclusion in the song, but Krabbit warns Baloney, “Choose your next words very carefully.” Bizz patiently explains to Baloney that he is vastly overpricing items in his yard sale. Peanut naively tries to find Baloney’s missing sneeze, and then all the friends abandon the tent as Baloney passes gas. Each situation is commonplace - a camping trip, a bug bite, admiring a tree - but the characters bring the events to life with their unique responses and their interactions with each other. Color coded speech bubbles match the characters to their words and ease picture book readers into the format of comic panels. And for those who wish to create their own stories, there are directions on how to draw each of the characters to show various emotions. VERDICT: A delightful read for early chapter book readers.
(My review originally appeared in School Library Journal, vol. 67, no. 7, July 2021, p. 56.)
No comments:
Post a Comment