James Proimos, . . Harcourt, $5.95 (48pp) ISBN 978-0-15-216778-3
In what PW
called "the plucky sheep's third comic strip–style outing," Johnny tries to learn some table manners, attempts a world record in sitting and overcomes a personal paranoia. Ages 6-10. (Mar.)
A quintet of brief tales, scrawled comic-book panels and jokey narration introduce Johnny Mutton, a young sheep raised as a regular boy. Johnny is discovered on the doorstep by Momma Mutton, an Continue reading »
Proimos uses a format similar to his Johnny Mutton, He's So Him
(the trim size of a beginning reader but with themes more appropriate to slightly older Continue reading »
In this encore performance to The Many Adventures of Johnny Mutton
, bright comic strip panels and speech bubbles convey Johnny's victory in a cooking Continue reading »
Amico (billed as the AFLAC duck's co-creator) and Proimos, author of the Johnny Mutton series, get some easy laughs at Dad's (and the dog's) expense. "One day my dad had to go out Continue reading »
Parents are more likely to appreciate Proimos's (Patricia Von Pleasantsquirrel
) blend of irony and parody than his target audience; the book's wry Continue reading »
Convincing kids to turn off the TV isn't easy, but with droll humor as his spoonful of sugar, Proimos (Paulie Pastrami Achieves World Peace
) might win them Continue reading »
With poems like ""My Feet Stink. Does Your Nose Smell?"" and ""Ode to Spaghetti"" James Proimos captures the kid's perspective in If I Were in Charge the Rules Would Be Different! Proimos's Continue reading »
Dressed in boy's clothing, the eponymous sheep makes an encore performance in Johnny Mutton, He's So Him! by James Proimos, the sequel to The Many Adventures of Johnny Mutton. Bright comic Continue reading »
In the plucky sheep's third comic-strip-style outing, Mutton Soup: More Adventures of Johnny Mutton by James Proimos, Johnny tries to learn some table manners, attempts a world record in sitting Continue reading »
In this eccentric tale, a grandfather changes his wish for youth in order to appease his grandson. Joe's eyes ""saw Babe Ruth play,"" his face has ""over a million wrinkles,"" and he exclaims ""Oy!"" Continue reading »
In this refreshing, rambunctious book, stentorian Sam goes to visit his aunt, exchanging his doting parents' home for ""the big city,"" a world of libraries, restaurants and the (comparatively) Continue reading »
In this modern-day tale, a raisin and a grape illustrate how grandparents can play dual roles: as caregiver and trusted friend. Primarily narrated by the young grape-with brief interjections made by Continue reading »
Time and again, picture-book creator Proimos has demonstrated a rock-solid sense of humor and outside-the-box thinking. His first book for teens is no different, opening a promising new chapter in Continue reading »
Knuckle, a pink tiger, and his good friend, Potty, a green bear, have grown tired of being cute and adorable in this fun, goofy children’s book. It’s actually a book within a book—Knuckle and Potty Continue reading »
Bonnie O’Boy is so excited about her new pink polka-dotted bike that she hops on without asking how to use the brakes. As a result, she goes “all willy-nilly. In fact, she had willy-nillied herself Continue reading »
In this uninhibitedly wacky collaboration by Year in the Jungle illustrator Proimos and his son, two dogs find that their owners have disappeared in a kind of Rapture moment along with all the other Continue reading »
Good news for those with Minion fatigue: Proimos (Year of the Jungle) has come up with three penguins who are right up there in the not-very-bright but goofy-cute department: these polar Continue reading »
Mac & Cheese: A Friendship Story That Celebrates Being Different
James Proimos
Right from the get-go it’s clear that Mac—a geeky, glasses-wearing noodle—and Cheese, a squat hunk of cheese with a snaggletooth, are meant to share the same camaraderie as Frog and Toad and George Continue reading »
Rising from the Ashes: Los Angeles, 1992. Edward Jae Song Lee, Latasha Harlins, Rodney King, and a City on Fire
Paula Yoo
Via vivid prose, Yoo (From a Whisper to a Rally) depicts the events surrounding the acquittal of the four police officers who brutalized Black motorist Rodney King in 1992 L.A. Continue reading »
Using alternating POVs set in three timelines, Fung (Living with Viola) crafts a poignant tale of generational strife, rebellion, and self-acceptance, inspired by the creator’s Continue reading »
Lynn weaves historical fiction, fairy tale lore, and simmering romance to craft an electric and harrowing Dust Bowl–era debut. When teenager Stella Fischer meets handsome Continue reading »
In a gentle allegory, delicately worked, stipple-textured forest scenes create an idyllic home for Little Bear, who loves his favorite rock and his cozy cave. Soon, though, a Continue reading »