Thunder Horse

May 6, 2013
The everyday adventures of Ariol the donkey continue in this companion to Just a Donkey Like You and Me. Readers needn’t be familiar with that book to enjoy this one—between the character list on the front flap and the episodic nature of the 12 stories, they’ll have no trouble diving into the world of this blue, bespectacled, school-age donkey. Boutavant’s (For Just One Day) anthropomorphic animals resemble a cross between the work of Richard Scarry and Hergé, and both he and Guibert (The Photographer) clearly convey the characters’ very human emotions, preoccupations, and eccentricities. For his part, Ariol is single-minded, a tad selfish, and often hilariously oblivious (in the final story, he reads intently at the bookstore, entirely unaware that the owner, Mr. Begossian, has fallen off a ladder and needs help). Nearly every story ends with a zinger (after Ariol and his buddy Ramono make fun of their new teachers over several pages, readers discover in the final panel that the grim-looking instructors have overheard the entire exchange), but the misunderstandings, slapstick gags, and repartee maintain the fun throughout. Ages 7–10. (June)■

May 15, 2013
More mild mischief from a bookish donkey and his porcine best bud. The book begins with a tongue-in-cheek quest to complete his collection of beloved superhero Thunder Horse stickers with the elusive #128 ("I bought four packs yesterday. That's too much. I have to get down to one pack a day") and ends with Ariol in such rapturous absorption in the new Thunder Horse novel that he misses favorite bookstore owner Mr. Begossian being taken away in an ambulance. Other high and low spots in Ariol's life range from an embarrassing but informative show and tell of his sonograms at school to a satisfying bit of flirting with classmate Petula. These and other experiences, such as fretting over a scheduled booster shot and taking a long train ride with his hyperactive friend Ramono, provide opportunities aplenty for irritating grown-ups, exchanging banter and suffering comical mishaps. Small of stature but depicted with wide eyes magnified by outsized glasses, Ariol is easy to spot among the diverse, all-animal cast populating Boutavant's spacious, cleanly drawn cartoon panels. A sitcom series between paper covers, offering familiar situations, occasional chuckles and a (not entirely) clueless young protagonist. (Graphic novel. 8-10)

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