A Beautiful Cow

July 1, 2014

Gr 3-6-Ariol loves Petula because she smells good and she is a beautiful cow. However, Ariol, a little donkey, has a hard time telling her this. Instead, he dreams about what he would say to her if he could, hangs out with his friends, gets advice from his parents, and has adventures. Silly situations and memorable characters make for an enjoyable, quick read. The easy-to-follow panels and colors that seem to pop from the pages make this graphic novel particularly pleasing. With crisp lines and forgiving backgrounds that blend in perfectly, this work will aesthetically delight middle graders. The many short unconnected adventures in this series entry will assure readers that the volumes don't have to be read in order. A great choice for libraries where Lincoln Peirce's "Big Nate" (HarperCollins) is enjoyed and where kids crave more after finishing Jennifer Holm's "Babymouse" or "Squish" (Random).-Mariela Siegert, Westfield Middle School, Bloomingdale, IL

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from March 1, 2014
Grades 2-5 *Starred Review* This French series starring Ariol, the precocious, bespectacled blue donkey, continues to be one of the most delightful kids comics going. In this fourth installment, Guibert and Boutavant have created another dozen charming, touching, heartfelt, and funny 10-page comics featuring Ariol and the rest of his animal friends and family. Ariol's adventures are never anything more than everyday occurrencesposing for school pictures, losing his keys, going to the gas station with his dadbut in Guibert and Boutavant's hands, each experience is full of humor and pathos. Ariol does gentle things, like hug his mom when she is reminded of a sad memory while they're dancing to her old disco records. But he gets into plenty of trouble, too, such as sneaking into a steeple and ringing the church bells, or trying to impress his crush with some graffiti. Boutavant's vibrant menagerie of expressive animals in rich, saturated colors moves through large, easy-to-read panels with detailed but uncluttered backgrounds. Refreshingly, every adult and kid character alike is the object of the gentle teasing tone of the comics, and both parents and young readers will appreciate the slice-of-life humor reminding us of how silly we all can be.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)