Happy Book Birthday, Arty Too by Penny Schneider!

I'm celebrating another book birthday today...yay! This one, actually, hit the shelves earlier this week, and I just managed to squeeze it in by shifting things around a bit. It's the second book in a series, and I did read the first one (amazing, right?). You can find that review HERE. It's a graphic novel for those readers out there, who are pretty sure of their words but need a little more practice...and if it's anything like the first one, it is very entertaining. 

Let's see what this pair of friends is up to this time.

ARTY TOO

 by Penny Schneider

Monarch Educational Services LLC

Children's Fiction  /   Graphic Novel

136 pages

ages 5 to 12

Tune in for a celebration of friendship with Arty and Slug where more laughs are shared, a map is followed, secrets are revealed, music is made, and magical dreams come true. When a new friend steps into the story, Arty learns that the biggest surprise might not be on the map at all.

GOODREADS    /    AMAZON

MY TIDBITS

Arty and Slug swim into an unexpected adventure, which packs more friendship, surprises, and some music, too.

Arty and Slug are playing a round of hide-and-seek, but Slug ends up in an odd situation. After finding Slug, Arty notices a hermit crab hiding near by, and the two try to coax it out. This leads to a map, a dive into Arty's past, possible friendships, and an unexpected trip with tons of fun.

This is a high-spirited graphic novel with characters to enjoy. Arty and Slug's friendship is inspiring, and their openness to new situations is contagious. They swim through unexpected situations with finesse and a dab of humor to keep the atmosphere cheerful and light. There's just enough depth to make them likeable, and readers will wish they could dive in and join them. It's a quick-paced read with quite a bit of heart and surprises. Everything is very fitting to the intended age group and hits upon themes, which readers can identify with. 

The illustrations are lively and let the personalities shine, while making the situations clear. The text is kept short and works with the images to bring across the scenes with emotion. Even reluctant readers are sure to enjoy the tale and can strengthen their reading and word skills along the way. Every now and then, the reader is asked to join in on the fun and draw something which connects with the tale. This interactive aspect adds a nice touch and gently feeds in a little food for thought. There is also goodness at the end surrounding a few sea creature facts, some simple sign language, and more to make this a read to enjoy in many ways. Still, it's the golden friendship of these two characters, which really makes this book shine.

It's a lovely addition to the series, and I can't wait to see where these two are headed next.

Arty by Penny Schneider

I'm just going to stay in graphic novel swing and take a look at a read surrounding a beta fish and sea slug. I don't believe I've ever read a book with a beta fish as the main character. They are such lovely fish, although I always feel sorry for them when I see them at the pet store. I know they aren't exactly friendly fish, and I have a feeling that's what drives this tale.

Ready to meet Arty because I sure am!

ARTY

by Penny Schneider

Monarch Educational Services

Middle Grade Animal Fiction  /  

Graphic Novel

100 pages 

ages 6 to 10

Arty is not your typical see a fish you fight Betta. What HE wants most of all is a friend. He knows how he is supposed to be, but...he knows nothing about this "friend" stuff. Can he do it? What do friends really do? Then along comes a silly sea slug, and his world flips upside down.

GOODREADS    /     AMAZON   /    B&N

MY TIDBITS

A fish swims against the tide to find that friendship can be difficult to find but golden when it's true.

Arty is a beta fish, which means he should love to fight. But he doesn't. Still, his presence is enough to scare everyone away, and he does find himself using that as a mask against the hurt it causes. Still, he dreams of friendship and decides to search out advice from the wisest entity in the ocean. When he runs into a sea slug, things start to change, and Arty notices that friendship might not pop up in a perfect bubble like his dreams. It might be even better than that.

This is an unique read, which, at times, had me wondering if it'd work or was going astray and yet, pulls in nicely. It draws in and makes it hard to put it down until the very end. Arty is clearly uncomfortable in his own fins. The author spends the first section letting the reader get a good grasp on Arty's problem, which makes the fish sympathetic but, at that same time, slices with his sharp attitude whenever he gets frustrated...and makes him a little hard to like. The sea slug adds spice at just the right time and brings along necessary humor. The odd partnership doesn't slide together immediately, but that's what makes it so fun. It's a strange pairing and so easy to root for as the, sometimes, difficult path to friendship becomes clear.

While there's an obvious message in these pages, it's a fun tale with characters to get behind.  The illustrations are in watercolor which fits with the ocean scenes, and they balance with the text to bring across the tale nicely and insert humor. There are a few pages which invite the reader to draw their own scene...which is a nice touch and fits well in the flow.

It's an enjoyable read, and I do hope to see more of these two in the future.

You can learn more about Penny and her works:

https://www.pennyschneider.com/