School Library Journal

K-Gr 2-When Hoggy sees his friends playing basketball, he wants to join in, but they are hesitant to include him. Hoggy is a ball hog, a showboat, and a sore loser, but he promises to try to be better. Unfortunately, he is not very successful and soon his friends send him home. After talking with another friend, Hoggy realizes that he should apologize and share so everyone can have a good time. This cute friendship story will resonate with children who have likely experienced similar scenarios many times over. The text is simple and accessible to young readers, and the panel setup of the graphic novel pages are intuitive for those just being introduced to this format. The illustrations are bright, cartoonish, and full of action which works well to support the basketball theme. VERDICT This colorful friendship story is an approachable introduction to graphic novels for early readers. A recommended purchase for most collections.-Ellen Conlin