Sky & Ty: Howdy, Partner! by Steve Breen

I really, really hope the #1 on this book presages more additions to this goofy series. Steve Breen is possibly better known as a political cartoonist, but I've always loved his hilarious and carefully craft picture books. This book combines his cartooning abilities, goofy sense of humor, and dinosaurs in the desert!

Sky McGill, a Black girl with a ponytail and blue cowboy hat doesn't dream of a pony... she dreams of a dinosaur! A ferocious T. Rex she can ride around and which will terrify everyone! When she sets out on her eighth birthday to find the perfect dinosaur, she's at first disappointed when she meets Ty, a calm, friendly orange T. Rex. Not at all what she'd been envisaging for a pet! However, as Ty points out to her, they weren't exactly planning to be someone's pet anyways. After an epic dance-off with a ferocious bear, the two decide to be best friends. In the second chapter, they start up a delivery service, but spend so much time negotiating the name of their new business (and clarifying that no, Ty is not a steed, horse, or beast of burden in general) that they almost fail to deliver.

The chapters are interspersed with jokes, drawings, and a guide to "Western speak." Breen's fresh cartoons have a classic Western flair but depict a more diverse and accurate landscape than the typical Westernized versions of the "Old West."

Verdict: This is quirky in the best way, with a funny surprise on each page and an example of a friendship where the characters listen to each other and compromise. A fun addition to transitional graphic novels and one I personally greatly enjoyed reading.

ISBN: 9781645952145; Published April 2024 by Pixel and Ink; Purchased for the library