A Cat Named Tim: and Other Stories

Gr 1–4—This practically wordless collection of comics for young readers features six characters, engaging pictures, and short chapters. The first entry, "Doug & Mouse," focuses on the adventures and friendship of a duck (Doug) and a mouse. Readers may have to work hard to follow the story line, as the graphics are not always presented in a linear fashion, but that is part of the tale's charm. The titular cat has his own chapter that features a few different stunts and jokes, and the following chapter with a bunny named Connie also has some funny sight gags. In the concluding vignette, Mr. and Mrs. Hamhock wait for a bus through many seasons of the year and eventually wonder if they left the oven on. Fans of Sunday comics and graphic novels with an emphasis on visual puns instead of full narratives will find these tales funny. The full-color pictures are bright and eye-catching. Some are panels and some are stand-alone images, but most chapters have several "snapshot" comics featuring the characters within. Young readers will get a kick out of finding secondary characters and amusing inside jokes in the backgrounds. This title has broad appeal for fans of comics aimed at a young audience.—Heather Massa, East Rockaway Public Library, NY