Gnome and Rat (Gnome and Rat #1)

This delightfully lively early graphic novel series launch by Stohler (I Am a Great Friend!) follows rambunctious, extravagantly bearded Gnome and his sedate, gray-spotted best friend Rat as they embark on numerous episodic adventures. On Gnomevember 17, Gnome wakes up excited to celebrate Hat Day, the most important day on the gnome calendar. After lovingly washing, unflattening, and polishing his beloved pointed red hat, Gnome hustles into the kitchen to learn that Rat has surprised him with an entire Hat Day celebration. Later, after Gnome witnesses a magic trick in which one rabbit pulls another out of a top hat, Gnome stuffs himself into his own accessory, but the experiment results in a woefully stretched-out chapeau. Hair-growth tonics, a dinosaur-decorated bowler, and Rat’s daily crosswords herald myriad other challenges and hijinks in which friendship—and gentle playfulness—always save the day. Offbeat characters, including a fast-talking, hat-designing possum with dreadful taste, enliven these simple tales of headwear appreciation. Stohler’s art glows with an inviting warmth that encourages readers to linger over the duo’s cheery home as well as the landscape’s purple-hued mountains and flower-filled mushroom forests while eagerly awaiting the series’ next installation. Ages 6–9. Agent: Thao Le, Sandra Dijkstra Literary. (June)