Pete & Pickles

Starred review from August 4, 2008
A pig named Pete leads a perfectly predictable and sensible existence until Pickles, the runaway circus elephant, turns it upside-down. Pickles possesses the joie de vivre of Auntie Mame (and the extensive wardrobe to carry it off with élan). She takes Pete swan-diving off Niagara Falls and sledding down the Matterhorn: that both of these activities unfold in places that are a far cry from the actual locales doesn't make them any less exciting to the increasingly game Pete. Breathed (Mars Needs Moms!
) writes in that giddy blend of skepticism and romanticism that have made his Pulitzer Prize–winning Bloom County comic strip a must-read—he creates not just a series of funny/tender vignettes but an emotional rollercoaster of a story, complete with a gripping life-or-death climax. Yet it's the digital artwork that's the real grabber. With nods to Hokusai and Hopper, Magritte and film noir, Breathed achieves a dreamy intensity, a sculptural heft that makes these images his most evocative and expansive to date. Ages 3–5.

January 1, 2009
Gr 2-4-Pete is a predictable and practical pig. One stormy night, his world is turned upside down when he encounters Pickles, an elephant on the lam from the circus, in his room. Pickles is anything but predictable, yet Pete finds himself drawn to her, and the two become unlikely friends. The relationship hits a snag when Pickles treads too far, and Pete makes a decision that ends up endangering both of their lives. This heartwarming tale is packed with adventure, imagination, and the all-important message of accepting differences. The illustrations alternate from naturalistic renderings of fantastical scenarios to flat compositions reminiscent of traditional comic strips. In the former, Pete and Pickles seem to pop off the page in the lush landscapes, and it is in these pages that the story soars. Less-discerning readers may miss plot points expressed in the drawings but not in the text. Great for sharing one-on-one or for reading aloud."Beth Cuddy, Seward Elementary School, Auburn, NY"

Copyright 2009 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2009
After returning runaway elephant Pickles to the circus, pig Pete has a change of heart and helps her escape. An uneasy co-existence, followed by near catastrophe, brings them closer together just as their friendship reaches the breaking point. Buried beneath Breathed's absurdist (sometimes to the point of incomprehensibility) writing and illustration style are quiet messages about overcoming grief and conquering fears.

(Copyright 2009 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)