There's a nice trend in beginning chapter graphic novels going on over the last year or two. The sweet spot is above the Elephant and Piggie stories, but below favorites like Dogman. Simple, silly stories are favorites, like Narwhal and Jelly. I admit that I, personally, often don't "get" the humor of these books, but I can easily identify which titles are going to be popular.
Stephen Shaskan has produced quite a few silly picture books, which I loved, and some unique graphic novels like the Q and Ray series with his wife, Trisha Speed Shaskan. It looks like he did this new series on his own, so I'm hopeful this means Trisha Speed Shaskan is working on her own or in tandem with another author and we can expect twice the books!
Pizza and Taco are best friends. They are such best friends they can talk about nothing else! They're better friends than Hamburger and Hot Dog. But when Taco tells Pizza they're the best and Pizza doesn't give the right answer, the contest is on - which one of them IS the best??
They hold competitions, elections, and debates, and then finally try besting each other on a water slide. Ultimately, they realize that they both are the best at different things - but together they are best at being best friends! "Awesome! Yaaas!"
The art is a little different than I'm used to seeing from Shaskan. There are still the bold lines and goofy cartoon eyes, but the backgrounds are a snazzy polka-dot pattern and the pizza and taco images are collaged pictures with a sprinkle of scribbled toppings for Taco. The text is in a variety of fonts and while simple, is a smaller and lighter font than one expects in an easy reader, one way to note this is for more fluent readers. The art of the comic is almost completely Pizza and Taco in different poses, so readers really do have to pick up the dialogue to understand what's going on.
This book reminded me most closely of Charise Mericle Harper's Beandog and Nugget, although it's a more challenging title. My library kids literally read those books to pieces and I'm very excited to bring them a new, slightly more challenging, food-themed fest of hilarity!
Verdict: A goodhearted and silly new series that is sure to attract kids who are ready to move on from Elephant and Piggie and like the goofy humor of Charise Mericle Harper. Recommended.
ISBN: 9780593123300; Published May 2020 by Random House; Borrowed from another library in my consortium; Purchased for the library
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