Nick Bruel

In four entertaining tales, author/artist Nick Bruel, perhaps best known for his Bad Kitty books, chronicles the adventures of a young girl over the course of a single year. From Winter Wear, in which the girl is prepared so thoroughly for the cold weather that by the time she gets outside her opportunity for play has passed, to Spring Splendor, in the girl and her dog drag an unwilling cat into a game of make-believe, all four seasons are covered. Rounding out the selections are Summer show more Sidewalks, in which Louise the purple hippopotamus freezes and unfreezes the girl, and Fall Foliage, in which the girl uses storytelling to reassure her favorite arboreal friend about the transformation he is undergoing as the season progresses.

With a delightfully quirky sense of humor and appealing, cartoon-strip style illustrations, A Wonderful Year captures the beauty and joy of the changing seasons, and one girl's experiences as time marches on around her. There were moments here - when Louise the purple hippo falls asleep while the (melted) girl is "freezing" back into shape! - that had my chuckling, and others - the tree listening attentively to the girl's story about a brave arboreal hero who isn't afraid of his changing colors - that struck me with their sharp sense of poignancy. My favorite story was Fall Foliage, both because autumn is my favorite season, and because the artwork here - it looked almost like cut-paper illustrations - appealed to me the most strongly. Recommended to anyone looking for entertaining and engaging picture-books about the changing seasons, and about creative girls and their imaginary games. show less

A most hilarious alphabet book with a kitty who goes bad due to vegetables and healthy food. Her subsequent terrorism pays off with capitulation that includes a donkey named Dave and an offering of human sacrifice!

Twisted and laugh out loud funny!

The eponymous little red bird in this rhyming picture-book lives in safety and plenty in a golden cage, but longs to fly free and visit the parkland she can see in the distance. One day, when the latch on her cage fails to engage, she has her chance, escaping from her erstwhile home and flying out into the world. Although delighted with her explorations, the avian adventurer has a choice at the end of the day: return to her cage, where she is sure of food and water, or remain in the show more wild..?

Although probably best known as the creator of the Bad Kitty picture and chapter-books, author/artist Nick Bruel here spins a tale of a little bird who must make a choice between freedom and safety. The conclusion is open-ended, leaving off with the question, posed throughout the story by Bruel, "What would you do?" I appreciated that aspect of the book, as I think it will open up some interesting discussions with younger children about which is better: being safe and plentifully provided for, or being free to explore and be yourself? I also liked Bruel's artwork here a little bit more than I did in some of his Bad Kitty books. That said, despite its good qualities, I found the meter here a little awkward, and didn't think that the test read particularly well. I subtracted a half star for that reason. show less

When her family runs out of cat food, and attempts to feed her healthy vegetables instead, a good kitty goes bad. Very, very bad! An A-Z list of veggies is followed by an A-Z list of bad behaviors the kitty gets up to, until someone finally arrives with the proper food for our feline heroine. Now determined to reform, kitty engages in an A-Z list of good behaviors, until another turn of events - the introduction of a new puppy companion - leads to another (possible) change of heart...

As a show more girl I simply loved Jack Gantos's Rotten Ralph books, about one very badly-behaved feline who was constantly up to no good, so Nick Bruel's Bad Kitty felt like familiar territory to me. I enjoyed this story of one kitty's vacillation between good and bad behavior, and think it will make for a uniquely entertaining alphabet book. The artwork is a little more cartoon-like in style than I care for - it felt a little flat to me, to be honest - but it works well with the story. Recommended to all young cat lovers, and to anyone looking for alphabet books with a story attached to them. show less