Review: Gnome and Rat by Lauren Stohler

Gnome and Rat (Gnome and Rat #1)
By Lauren Stohler
Random House Graphic
ISBN: 9780593487822
$10.99
Out Now

*Best New Book*

Find it at: Bookshop | Your Library

You ever feel like you want something a little different? Want to shake things up a bit? Tired of the ol’ paint-by-numbers formulaic books for young readers? When you read an early graphic novel as gloriously offbeat as Gnome and Rat, so many other books look boring in comparison. Bravo to Lauren Stohler, who brings humor, creativity, and endearing weirdness to this new series.

Rat is the quietly refined one, thoughtfully sipping hot beverages, wearing sensible scarves. Gnome (prone to bursts of singing and stating grand intentions) tends to wear his emotions on his sleeve. In The Enormous Forest, the unlikely pair navigate a series of hat-related adventures: can Gnome fit inside his hat? Does Rat remember hat’s birthday? What happens when Gnome suddenly grows a thick, luxurious head of hair? These delightfully ridiculous questions are answered over five short chapters.

The bright digital illustrations burst with color and exuberance. Stohler has a talent for expressions and details that add to the humor of the text.

Charming, funny, and unexpected – if you’re looking for a breath of fresh air in book form, Gnome and Rat is for you. The fact that it’s the first in a series means more to come.

Review copy from the publisher.

Filed under: *Best New Books*, Reviews