Junior Library Guild

• Sarah Varon’s surreal storytelling style and anthropomorphic characters provide a sense of magic, whether she’s relating part of a daily routine or a new and exciting experience.
• In the quirky illustrations, endearing characters and objects often overflow panel borders, creating an effortless sense of movement through time and space. In one scene, for example, a dog takes a teacup from an open cabinet and hands it to himself setting a table in the panel below.
• The soothing color palette of blues and purples, handwritten lettering, and simple line art combine for a stream-of-consciousness feeling throughout the book.
• Notes at the beginning of each story provide context for the reader. While the characters are fantastical, Varon’s insights and observations are rooted in the real world, from examining urban beekeeping to riding the subway in Mexico City.

School Library Journal

A rerelease of Varon’s first work, a 2003 comics collection, with new stories added. Varon has penned introductions to each tale that give readers a glimpse into her creative process, including the backstory behind her popular 2007 graphic novel, Robot Dreams (First Second). Varon charms readers in the way that only she can, with her beautifully drawn two-color tales of a s’more-stealing (yet repentant) raccoon and sweltering dinosaurs who cool off with a visit to the ice cream truck as well as informational and exquisitely detailed depictions of beekeeping and the Mexico City subway system. She also treats readers to some fun Easter eggs—a tiny flier bound into the book’s pages and an intricate paper doll set. The selections’ introductions and a few of the pieces themselves may hold more appeal for adults than children due to their mature (but certainly not inappropriate) themes, but that won’t detract from the delight this collection will give to a wide range of graphic novel lovers. VERDICT A highly recommended purchase for fans of Varon’s previous works and for lovers of offbeat, big-hearted comics.—Laura Lintz, Henrietta Public Library, Rochester, NY