Happy as a Pig...

May 1, 2014

Gr 4-7-The third title in this excellent graphic novel series offers short vignettes in the life of Ariol, a superhero-obsessed tween donkey. Ariol, like many boys his age, hangs out with his best friend (a pig), and has a crush on a girl in his class (a cow), and he navigates the real world of schoolwork and parents while still trying to achieve the ideal of his comic-book hero, Thunder Horse. Although all of the characters are anthropomorphized animals, their amusing interactions and adventures ring true to the experiences of middle-grade kids. The colorful, offbeat illustrations are a perfect match to the stories, setting the scene and giving the characters depth. Ariol's hilarious hijinks are mischievous and fun, and this volume will find fans among kids who enjoy irreverent humor.-Sarah Reid, Broome County Public Library, Binghamton, NY

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 15, 2013
Grades 2-5 This latest installment in the charming French comic series is more of everything there is to love about Ariol, the precocious blue donkey, and his myriad animal friends and family. Here, he nurses a powerful crush on Petula and writes her a poem ( Your eyes are pretty like two TVs showing cartoons all the time ). He also handily manages to get a copy of his favorite comic, Thunder Horse, signed at a convention and plays mischievous games with his rambunctious best friend, Ramono. But it's not all roughhousing and video games: Ariol is a deeply feeling boy. He tries to avoid trouble and worries when he gets caught up in something wrong. He innocently loves Petula, but he also expresses harmless curiosity at Ramono's sister's prodigious bust. None of these events, however, are treated as anything other than a little guy learning about the world. All the while, Boutavant's bright and buoyant illustrations and Guibert's pitch-perfect dialogue elevate the simple, everyday stories to illuminate something refreshingly honest about being a kid.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)