That's Not Fair

 That's Not Fair by Shinsuke Yoshitake, 2024, 32 pages

I love this author's work, the illustrations are charming and the books are usually good reading for both adults and kids. My daughter and I read his first book, Still Stuck, over and over again for months and it still makes us laugh to this day. This is another good addition to what feels like an impromptu series. Here a little girl gets wise to life not being fair and confronts her father about it, who comes up with fantastically ridiculous reasons why. Perfect for older kids who are starting to ask a lot of questions. 

Matilda

 

Matilda by Roald Dahl, 240 pgs.

What a fun book. My daughter started reading this one night, finished it in a day, and declared it as her favorite book of all time. I've seen most of the early movie versions of of Dahl's books but I'm just starting to read them now and really wished I'd experienced them as a kid. Matilda is one of those kids who is born to neglectful, awful parents and who don't encourage her natural abilities so she develops them herself. I love that this is basically a kid experience some massive trauma and ends up developing a superpower as a result to counteract all the bad people in her life. Books that feature kids who develop a power over grown-ups is always a good read, it's nice to see mean adults get their comeuppance at the hands of someone so small. Kids and adults. 

Night Fever

 Night Fever by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips, 120 pgs. 

I had a brief foray into comics as a teen, usually just X-Men or Image comics related, but it's been a long time since I've picked-up a graphic novel and this did not disappoint. I've never thought of myself as a mystery or crime reader, but this really delivers. It follows a book sales rep on a conference in Paris who strays from his normal routines and finds himself infiltrating an underground masquerade party under another identity. He gambles, cajoles, and ends-up committing some serious crimes, all in the name of boredom and confusion about his middle-aged life. There is a really interesting thread where he thinks his dream is being shared by another author and indicates the duality of modern man versus inner beast,  but the authors don't really tie-that up in the end, opting for a more disassociated, nebulous kind of denouement, which only adds to the intrigue. The author's notes indicate that this is just a one-off kind of book but I would love to see this story extended. There is brief nudity and extreme violence here, recommended mature teens and adults. 

Barb The Last Berzerker Series

 Barb the Last Berzerker Series: Book 1, 2 & 3 by Dan Abdo and Jason Patterson, 784 pgs. (total)

This is a really fun, easy-to-read-graphic series that follows a plucky, courageous heroine in a wacky, make-believe land. Barb is the last Berzerker, basically modeled off vikings and knights who go around protecting fairies and gnomes from goofy monsters. On her quest, Barb befriends a Yeti named Porkchop who becomes her sidekick. The dialogue is snappy and frequently funny without being smarmy. The world of Bailiwick comes under fire from the evil wizard Witch Head and it's up to Barb and her cast of zany monsters to save the world. Along the way,  Barb makes good choices to save people others won't save, stop bullying in all its monster forms, and show mercy and kindness to all. My daughter loved this series so I had to read it too and it's really great, a lot of great lessons and jokes for 1st-3rd grade kids. Recommended for kids and parents.  

Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Sleigh!

 Don't' Let the Pigeon Drive the Sleigh! by Mo Willems, 40 pgs. 

Is Mo Willems an evil genius? A marketing guru? Or did he just hit the jackpot with his charming doodles? Either way, this is a fun addition to the Pigeon series. Many of Willems' books demand repeated reading and this one will surely become a seasonal classic in due time. I spent so much time reading these books to my daughter, now that she's sort of aged out of them, it's hard for me to put them down as an adult. As always, Willems writes with two audiences in mind: child and parent, so there is much to love for both. Happy holidays!