Book Review: The Simon and Chester juvenile series by Cale Atkinson

The Simon and Chester series
by Cale Atkinson (jP Atkinson and j Atkinson)

This absolutely delightful series of children’s graphic stories began with the 2018 picture book Sir Simon, Super Scarer, in which a blobby little ghost named Sir Simon Spookington is looking forward to his first assignment to haunt an actual house (he’s previously haunted a forest, a boat, a bus stop, and…a potato. But Simon is concerned to discover that the house he’s been transferred to is newly occupied by not only a kindly little old lady (great for hauntings) but also by a curious little boy (Chester), who quickly sees Simon and tries to befriend him. The picture book covers Simon showing Chester all of the “ghost chores” he must accomplish each day (spooky animal noises, chain clanking, mysterious footsteps in the attic, etc.) and Chester shows Simon the human chores he’s responsible for (cleaning, vacuuming, laundry, etc.).

 

The two later volumes, both released in 2021, are rebranded as part of the “Simon and Chester” series, and take the form of juvenile graphic novels — the art, while still terrific, is a bit less detailed and more restrained, and more emphasis is placed on the storytelling. In the first, Simon and Chester: Super Detectives, Simon and Chester are bored and borrow some costume to take on the role of detectives in search of a mystery. In the second, Simon and Chester: Super Sleepover!, Chester (an introvert) accepts an invitation to a friend’s sleepover birthday party, and Simon nervously awaits his annual “haunting” review by a notoriously picky ghost supervisor. Both are nervous about their respective appointments, but both train each other on how to be successful.

 

The artwork, while a bit cartoonish, is excellent, with both Simon the ghost and Chester the kid being very expressive. The storytelling is amusing, and each book has a positive message for kids. I really enjoy this series, and can’t wait for more Simon and Chester adventures from this author/illustrator. Simon is a particularly engaging little spook!

 

( official Cale Atkinson web site )

 

Recommended by Scott C.
Bennett Martin Public Library — Public Service

 

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New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide Blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewer’s recommendations!

Book Review: The Owly series by Andy Runton

The Owly series

by Andy Runton (jPB (Series) Runton)

 

I stumbled across the first volume in this series a year ago and fell in love with the charming art. Actually, “Owly” first premiered in 2004 from a different publisher, with somewhat muted colors, but since his 2020 re-introduction from publisher “Graphix” (an imprint from the youth Scholastic publisher), he’s been a full-color phenomenon. Owly is a short, round, friendly little owl, who lives in a walk-up treetop home and spends his days playing, gardening, and roaming his forest, looking to make new friends. He shows none of the traits of owls that classify them as “predators”, and is in fact, one of the least-threatening characters around.

 

In the first volume (of four so far), Owly rescues a small earthworm from drowning in a puddle after a storm, and he and Wormy then become best friends, after Owly helps Wormy find his family. In all subsequent volumes, Owly and Wormy have become roommates and share all their exploring adventures together. Owly is constantly having to overcome the reputation of owls as a frightening species to most other animals he encounters, which causes the “making friends” part of his day to be difficult. In the second volume, “Just a Little Blue”, Owly and Wormy build a new home for a family of bluebirds, who don’t initially trust in their good intentions. In volume three, “Flying Lessons”, a skittish flying squirrel, new to the woods, ultimately teaches Owly how to glide (his wings are too small to take off, but if he starts at a high enough height, he can still glide). And in the fourth volume, “A Time to Be Brave”, a frightened Wormy has to be convinced that a timid but toothy opossum is not the frightening dragon from a fairytale book that Owly is reading.

 

The artwork in this entire series is incredibly vivid and bright, and each character introduced definitely has its own look. The pair of ruby-throated hummingbirds introduced in volume 1 are absolutely adorable. Unlike most of the other characters, whose word balloons include actual text, Owly does not “speak” with words, but instead his word balloons are filled with symbols or little pictures, which make perfect narrative sense, but take a little getting used to as a reader. Overall, a heartwarming and charming series of simple graphic novels, aimed at a young audience, but adults will appreciate the messages of friendship, hope and generosity exemplified by these beautifully illustrated characters.

 

( official Owly and Andy Runton web site )

 

Recommended by Scott C.
Bennett Martin Public Library — Public Service

 

Have you read or listened to this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide Blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewer’s recommendations!

Book Review: Goodbye, Friend! Hello, Friend! by Cori Doerrfeld

Goodbye, Friend! Hello, Friend!
by Cori Doerrfeld (jP Doerrfeld)

I was drawn to this book because of its adorable cover and my fondness for another of Doerrfeld’s books, The Rabbit Listened. This book and its detailed illustrations can help teach children about emotion regulation. Though we feel grief when we lose a pet or a friend moves away, we can try to look for the silver lining, such as the friendships strengthened through shared sorrow or the newfound opportunity to send hand-written letters to each other. That being said, it is important to allow children to process through their emotions, negative or otherwise, so I’d encourage a reader to gather other titles such as those listed below to help balance the messaging.

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try The Happy Book by Andy Rash, I’m Worried by Michael Ian Black, Hooray for Today! by Brian Won or Frederick, by Leo Lionni.]

[ official Cori Doerrfeld web site ]

Recommended by Naomi S.
Eiseley and Williams Branch Libraries

Have you read this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewer’s recommendations!

Customer Review: Extraordinary by Miriam Spitzer Franklin

Extraordinary
by Miriam Spitzer Franklin [ebook format only]

 

A delightful debut novel about friendship! The main character of Pansy, who is quiet and fearful but also exuberant and determined, won my affection. I also admire the author for creating a sweet but realistic story about disabilities. Just as what lies at the end of Pansy’s year isn’t exactly what she had expected, so I too was surprised at plot twists in Extra Ordinary, and both are good things. Despite minor flaws, the book reminds me of why I’m such a fan of children’s literature!.

reviewed by Allison H.-F.
customer of the Bennett Martin Public Library
May 20, 2017

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New Customer Reviews appear whenever we receive submissions on the Customer Reviews page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually shortly after they appear on our site.