While I initially struggled with the character development of the other sloth characters, the overall storyline provided an entertaining experience. The narrative follows the lovable sloths on a quick-paced adventure as they search for a lost friend, repair boats, and stumble upon dragons in long-forgotten ruins. All of this is beautifully depicted with whimsical crayon-style art.

 What impressed me most about "Phoebe and her Unicorn" was its ability to address deeper themes while preserving childhood innocence. Friendship, self-discovery, and embracing uniqueness were subtly woven into the narrative, resonating with my daughters subconsciously. These gentle messages guide them as they navigate their journeys.

While Lore Olympus excels in its artistic presentation, it also weaves a compelling tale of romance and intrigue. The complex relationships among the gods are intricately explored, delving into themes of love, jealousy, and power struggles.

The New Yorker 25th Anniversary Album seamlessly captures the essence of each era, reminding us of the universal language of laughter. As we delve into these thought-provoking illustrations, we witness the evolution of society and the triumphs and trials that have shaped our collective history.

This album's fusion of humor and history fosters a deeper appreciation for the human experience, bridging generational gaps and embracing our cultural heritage.

CHU is an inventive and visually stunning comic, thanks to the vibrant and expressive art by Dan Boultwood. The story unfolds briskly, packed with unexpected twists and turns that will keep me engaged from start to finish. Prepare for a hilarious and gory adventure featuring memorable characters, with Saffron Chu leading as a non-nonsense anti-heroine armed with snarky wit.

 Piece by piece, over a few days, I embarked on the excellent task of assembling this grand masterpiece. With close to 3500 intricate elements to arrange, the process was nothing short of mesmerizing. As I meticulously joined each brick, a sense of calm and tranquility washed over me. It was a joy-filled journey as I witnessed the tower steadily rise before my eyes.

One of the highlights of 'Stagnant Waters' is the rich tapestry of alien species that Walton introduces. Each turn of the page reveals a new facet of this intricately crafted universe, where diverse extraterrestrial beings coexist and interact. Walton's attention to detail and the depth he brings to these alien civilizations is truly commendable, immersing readers in a vibrant world teeming with life.

I delighted in the theme of ‘do not grow up too fast’ and ‘be careful what you wish for.’  The final confrontation with the antagonist at the end felt rushed, but I loved some of the characters Mel meets along the way and the fantastical settings of some of the environments.

I enjoyed this story.  It was a personal exploration of a nine-year-old boy named Nathan finding a way to escape from the real-world issues of bullies and his older brother dying from cancer.

There is some significant symbolism, and the world is an allegory for how young minds deal with trauma and change.

I felt that James Proimos had a genuinely fun time writing up the stories, and this is proof that there takes a particular skill to write a children’s graphic novel that carries on its humor, skill, and style that keeps all ages engaged.

The dynamics between humans and fae races are exciting, and seeing how one of the main characters, Cinder, tries to navigate his place between both worlds is.  It is an excellent allegory to those who struggle to find their family and, in the end, gives the reader permission to recognize that our family is who loves us and allows us to grow.

I stumbled upon this one in the library's adult section, among the other graphic novels that touch on adult themes.

This one is about how recently separated conjoined twins can continue their lives separate from each other.

Rafael’s art was reminiscent of some of the classic newspaper comic strips and had a warm and adventurous storyline.

It wasn’t until I was halfway through the story that I noticed that it was the second book in a series, but one does not have to read the first book, ‘Giants Beware’ to enjoy this book.

This was a fun and daring read with plenty of adult humor that parents can enjoy—mainly focusing on the amazon purchasing consumer culture prevalent in global north communities.

There is also a sense of tapping into the international espionage action reminiscent of James Bond and other campy spy movies.

This past week I read issue 3 of ‘There’s an Alien in my Toilet’ by the fun and talented Samuel Vera. In issue 3, the reader meets Herman, the Chihuahua who acts as the foil to Doodie’s adventures and exploration of this new world he is lost in.

I was very excited to read issue 4 of Warriors of the Universe by Chance Priest with art by the talented Geff Bartrand.  This is a great team-up of a world builder and an illustrator.  Chance is prolific in creating a giant world with countless characters, and Geff can match complex stories with intricately detailed illustrations for the comic book series. 

I read the second Barb book, ‘Barb and the Ghost Blade’.  It continued to possess the same delightful storytelling magic of Dan and Jason.  They expertly weave in serious adventures with childlike humor.  Their style is reminiscent of the golden age of Nickelodeon cartoons with the class of a Disney film

Judd Winick took the characters' danger in the first one and set the bar hiring to create a unique sense of risk that the main characters had to face.

This goes more into depth about Hilo’s backstory while giving the main supporting characters more growth.  Because of this, there are more impactful decisions that are made by the children that appear to ripple into other books.

This past week I read Ben Hatke’s ‘Mighty Jack and Zita the Spacegirl’ I first started reading Ben’s work with ‘Mighty Jack’ but never read any of his Zita stories.  I must say, as someone who only knew half of the characters in this book, Ben did a fantastic job not getting the reader lost in the story. 

It takes a specific storytelling skill to start a book halfway through a character’s developmental story arc and not make a first-time reader get lost, and Ben did a great job with that.

Over the last few weeks, I have introduced my 6-year-old and 8-year-old to the fun and exciting world of tabletop role-playing games.  Toon, by Steve Jackson Games, is a great in-between system for young kids who like games that involve interactive storytelling and those that want to get started in learning more complex rule systems.