Rascal

April 17, 2020

DEBUT Based on his syndicated French comic, Crapule, creator Deglin's first full-length work is a cat book. Ask yourself--do you love cats? Are they irresistible and intriguing, even when they destroy your stuff, pick at their meals, claw you in the night, and hiss at their own shadow? Then you will see yourself, and most likely, a mercurial feline close to your heart, in this, a cat book for people who like cat books. The titular Rascal arrives uninvited, pent up in a box for a week and bursts onto the scene frazzled, neurotic, and clingy. He arrives as a tiny kitten, with all the electric energy that comes with that, and enough antics to fill multiple volumes. The four-panel format is quite obvious and at times a bit repetitive, but not dissimilar from the rigors of life with a predictably unpredictable pet. Deglin's illustrations capture the paradox of the housecat, a statue one moment and a cyclone the next, in the surprisingly expressive form of a small black blotch on a blue-and-white page. VERDICT Abundant with snapshots recognizable to cat lovers the world over, Rascal appeals unapologetically to its base, but may alienate foolish cat-shunning detractors.--Emilia Packard, Tokyo, Japan

Copyright 2020 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 17, 2020

Gr 7 Up-In this debut graphic novel from France, Deglin explores the complicated companionship between an owner and her cat through a series of simple and heartfelt vignettes. Relying on a clean, comic strip format, Deglin uses shades of blue and white to highlight the cat's inky black movements and facial expressions. The unnamed protagonist's mother leaves a cat in a cardboard box on her daughter's porch, asking her to care for it but unaware her daughter has been out of town. Fearing she's unwrapping a corpse, the protagonist instead releases a starved and traumatized cat, whom she names Rascal. Neither knows what to expect from the other, although it's clear that Rascal always has the upper hand. As Rascal and his owner grow with each other, so does their relationship. There are laugh-out-loud moments; in a series of wordless panels, Rascal drinks from the toilet, licking his behind, then licks his disgusted owner's face. The level of detail in each panel, along with the rich characterization, makes this tale a winner. Some minor swearing in two scenes bumps the grade level of this graphic novel up to middle school. VERDICT This story will delight anyone who has ever loved or lived with a cat.-Rachel Zuffa, Case High School, Racine, WI

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 15, 2020
In this graphic novel, originally published in Belgium and translated from the French, an unnamed main character, previously pet-less, has been given a kitty by her mother, though she has no experience caring for cats. In fact, she doesn't even like cats. But, as many a cat owner could have predicted, this little black critter, appropriately named Rascal, wins the young woman's heart (and, not surprisingly, never leaves her apartment). While the book contains an overarching story line, each page contains four panels and depicts a single experience, giving it a comic-strip feel. The text is kept to a minimum, with the focus falling mainly on Rascal and his feline ways. The illustrations are finely drawn in black-and-white outlines with blue shading; only Rascal is filled in. As a little bonus, readers will find a small black kitten in the top left corner of each page, always in a unique position. Give this amusingly honest book to people who love cats and understand the challenges that go along with caring for them.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)