Pawcasso by Remy Lai is a cute graphic novel with a ton of kid appeal. Though it was by no means my favorite graphic novel read of 2021, I can see why kids would like it and it did have an important overall lesson.
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The summary, from Amazon:
Remy Lai, the award-winning creator of Pie in the Sky makes her middle-grade graphic novel debut, Pawcasso, about the unexpected friendship between the loneliest girl in class and the coolest canine in town.
“It’s tail-wagging entertaining!” ―Kelly Yang, New York Times bestselling author of Front Desk
Every Saturday, Pawcasso trots into town with a basket, a shopping list, and cash in paw to buy groceries for his family. One day, he passes eleven-year-old Jo, peering out the window of her house, bored and lonely. Astonished by the sight of an adorable basket-toting dog on his own, Jo follows Pawcasso, and when she’s seen alongside him by a group of kids from her school, they mistake her for Pawcasso’s owner.
Excited to make new friends, Jo reluctantly hides the truth and agrees to let “her” dog model for an art class the kids attend. What could go wrong? But what starts as a Chihuahua-sized lie quickly grows Great Dane-sized when animal control receives complaints about a dog roaming the streets off-leash. With Pawcasso’s freedom at stake, is Jo willing to spill the truth and risk her new friendships?
“A beautifully drawn and delightful story bursting with art, books, and fun!” ―Maria Scrivan, New York Times bestselling author of Nat Enough and Forget Me Nat
Buy Pawcasso here.
Pawcasso is about Jo, a kid who discovers a dog who runs errands all on his own. When she follows him on his errands to the local bookstore, her classmates assumes Pawcasso belongs to her. Everyone in town becomes obsessed with the dog, but there’s a small camp who are upset that Pawcasso goes around town unleashed. Meanwhile, Jo keeps up her lie so her new friendships remain intact.
This was such a weird story to me that made no sense. It was too realistic for me to suspend my disbelief. I also just did not enjoy the art. I do see the kid appeal though with the dog running errands, and the ultimate lesson was important. It’s clear by the end of the graphic novel that dogs need to remain leashed in most areas for a variety of reasons, and that we might not always know why a person has certain opinions or comes across a certain way. While it was a 2 star read for me, I still think it’s a good graphic novel for kids.
Find out more about how I rate books here.
Pawcasso by Remy Lai
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
This is a very strange story but I see the kid appeal.
Book Club Questions
- Why does Jo continue to lie about Pawcasso?
- What are some reasons a dog should be leashed, even when it is friendly?
- Is Mr. Iccc really the person everyone makes him out to be? What did we learn about him throughout the book?
Interested? Buy Pawcasso.
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