The adventures of Penguin and Panda: Surprise!; Fun & Games by Brenda Maier and Fanni Mezes

 The odd couple dynamic is a classic trope of early readers and beginning chapters since the debut of Arnold Lobel's Frog and Toad. However, I am increasingly wary of authors using this trope to portray unhealthy or unrealistic friendships. All too often, creators default to the "introvert vs. extrovert" with no real explanation of why these two characters are friends, except that they both have serious boundary issues.

So I was a little wary entering this new comic series, especially since I accidentally read the second book first, which starts with a story about how different the two are. However, it turned out to actually handle the trope very well, making this series a strong addition to the genre.

In their first adventure, Surprise! there are four stories. The titular story shows Penguin trying to surprise Panda but failing, since he's such a good guesser. It turns out ok though, because Panda, unlike Penguin, doesn't really enjoy surprises. The two continue their adventures, playing hide and seek, attending an art class, and they finish with an episode where Penguin fears Panda no longer wants to be friends with her - but once they talk things out, it turns out he was just preparing a surprise. Their adventures continue in Fun & Games with a visit to a carnival, a search for a pet, and two moments in their friendship - one where they realize that they can be friends even though they like different things and one where they resolve an issue caused by Panda breaking Penguin's bike and lying about it. I especially like this last, as there was more to it than Penguin just forgiving Panda; she talked about how his lying made her feel and then showed him how to repair their bikes, so he could fix what he broke.

There are guides to drawing the characters at the back of the books, as well as some facts about penguins and pandas. The art is fun and cheerful, featuring the classic black and white panda and a purple penguin with a pink t-shirt. There are bright balloons, lots of green grass and blue sky, and simple details. The two are implied to share a house, although there's little background explaining the characters; readers will pick up their interests and personalities along the way. The vocabulary is a little more advanced than an early reader and the panels can be challenging to follow, but the speech bubbles have minimal text. This is one I'll be putting into my transitional chapters, which sit right between early readers and beginning chapters, similar to Scholastic's Acorn imprint.

Verdict: There are lots of beginning graphic novels to choose from, but these stand out because of the healthy relationship portrayed in a fun way. The books are only available in paperback, but they appear to have fairly sturdy bindings and strong covers. A third book is scheduled to be published in fall 2024. Recommended.

Surprise!
ISBN: 9781958325056

Fun & Games
ISBN: 9781958325070

Published April 2024 by Marble Press LLC; Review copies provided by publisher; Donated to the library