Since this year is probably going to be just as weird and different as the last two, I’ve decided to try something new for the ol’ bloggy: once a month, I’m going to get a random “you choose for me” bag from my local library. (Which, incidentally, is closed due to COVID, but is still offering curbside pickup because librarians are rock stars).

From that bag of randomly selected books, I will randomly select two stories to review. This month, I have chosen:

Title: Little Brothers & Little Sisters
Written & Illustrated by: Monica Arnaldo
Published By: OwlKids Books, 2018

AND…

Title: Just Because
Author: Mac Barnett
Illustrator: Isabelle Arsenault
Published By: Candlewick Press, 2019

I’m going to read each book once and then react. Ready? Ready! Let’s do this!

First up, Little Brothers & Little Sisters. So, right off the bat I really liked the art. It’s really friendly and bright and cute. It’s eye-catching and colourful. A+ for the art. The story is really, really simple: little brothers and sisters just want to be part of your world, older siblings. They want to get into your clubhouse, sit with you on the couch, not have to pull you around in a wagon.

(Just a quick interjection here: as an older sibling, was I doing it wrong? Like, was I too soft on my little brother? I never prevented him from joining me in our treehouse, he always had the best spot on the couch and he never, ever pulled me around in a wagon or anything else for that matter. I pulled him! Dammit, I think I seriously blew this ‘I’m the big sister so do what I say’ thing. I wonder if it’s too late now?)

Anyway, the good news is that even though the little sibs in the story don’t get to do WHATEVER they want (unlike my little brother, apparently), they do get older sibling love/help when it’s needed. So there’s a sweet ending to the story. Aw.

Do I think my kiddos would’ve liked it as little ones? Maybe as REALLY little ones. The story would’ve been too thin for them after the age of about three. Also, with their rivalry, I’m not sure how well they could relate to these siblings. Sigh. Working on that.

Next up: Just Because.

The art is good. I like how it goes from fairly monochromatic on the room pages, with only the circle behind the question being coloured in, and that the circle colour predicts the background/dominant colour on the following double-page spread. Nicely done!

The story: guys, I have a confession to make. I’m a giant nerd. That is, I love science and non-fiction stories. I watch SciShow or Crash Course every night on YouTube. I often fall asleep to Hank or John Green’s voice. I love facts and knowing the answers to questions.

That said, I’m also a creative writer who makes stuff up for a living. So, I love imagination as well. The thing that kind of irks me about this book is that I get it but I don’t LOVE it.

Here’s why: the story is about a little girl who is stalling at bedtime. She keeps asking her dad legit questions, like: Why is the ocean blue? What happened to the dinosaurs? What’s a black hole? And, instead of giving the kid legit answers, the dad totally makes things up.

Which, you know, I get it. Dad is tired. He wants to go downstairs and watch some kind of sporting event on television. Maybe have some wine? Probably. He doesn’t really want to get super in-depth on the topic of bird migration or the lifecycle of deciduous trees. I feel you, Dad. I FEEL YOU. But…little nerd-Jess is struggling with the lack of answers. As a kid, I would’ve been annoyed with my own father for just making stuff up. I would’ve been all “Ha, ha! The dinosaurs floated out to space. Hilarious. Now, what really happened? For REAL.”

And all THAT said, I know I’m not the target audience. This *theoretically* could be a good jumping-off point for a discussion with your kid about real vs. fantasy/good information vs. bad information/people being experts vs. people just randomly having theories with no actual basis in reality.

Would my kids have liked this book? Well, I think they’re both too much like me. They would’ve listened patiently and then been like “Okay, once more…this time, just the facts.”

Little Brothers & Little Sisters: 4/5 stars

Just Because: 3/5 stars

Title: Bear is a Bear
Author: Jonathan Stutzman
Illustrator: Dan Santat
Published By: HarperCollins, 2021

Since it’s November, I’ve almost finished my Christmas shopping (I’m a bit late this year, to be honest). I always try and get Karl a gift that he doesn’t expect/that will probably make him cry (happy tears, not tears of bitter disappointment).

This year’s choice was obvious: a Dan Santat book! The perfect gift for anyone!

Okay, fine. So I kind of bought it for myself too. But mostly for Karl!

The book is…well, put it to you this way: I almost ugly-cried at Chapters.

The book follows the story of a little girl’s bond with her teddy bear. As someone who has loved many bears (but one more than all others), I can 100% relate to the deep and important relationship a bear provides. The text is poetic, simple, beautiful. The art is, obviously, the best ever. I read the book for the first time at the store, and it nearly killed me not to openly sob. Then I tried reading it at home, thinking I wouldn’t be so affected the second time.

Yeah, I was. And I have been every time after that. Its emotional impact isn’t lessening, you guys. This is Love You Forever all over again. This is the epilogue to Knuffle Bunny Free on repeat.

This book will always simultaneously bring me tremendous joy and tremendous longing for my children when they were younger.

Gah, this review has taken a turn for the sad. I’m sorry, readers. What I really want you to know about this book is: it’s fantastic. It’s adorable. It’s fabulous. It’s so, so sweet and lovely. And it’s a little bit sad, but also hopeful. It’s basically the perfect book to give to a parent, because it’s really the journey a parent takes. It’s growing up, it’s letting go.

And it’s got a bear.

10/10

Title: A Kid is a Kid is a Kid
Author: Sara O’Leary
Illustrator: Qin Leng
Published By: Groundwood Books, 2021

If you’re a longtime reader of this blog, you’ll know that we’ve reviewed another book by Sara O’Leary and Qin Leng — A Family is a Family is a Family (linked here). We were HUGE fans of that first book and, great news, we’re fans of this one as well!

Lily and I read this one for a bedtime story last night. Lily had the following observations/comments to share:

1. I really love the art in these books. The illustrator is awesome! (I agree. The art is so watercolour-y and beautiful.)
2. I don’t know why that kid cared if the other kid was a boy or a girl. Just ask a person their name and go with that. (Right on, kiddo.)
3. I relate strongly to the book kid and the short kid. I’m both of those. (Accurate.)
4. Vivi knows identical twins!
5. I like that kid’s shirt. It is exceptional.
6. Pumpkin Pie is a great dog name. We can’t have a dog, but I think I’d name a tortoise Gumdrop. (We are not getting a tortoise. Not yet, anyway. Now that she’s gone and come up with the perfect tortoise name, it’s kind of hard to say no.)
7. The grandmother’s house is kind of sad and happy. She’s talking about it like she doesn’t go there anymore.

As for me? I liked the subtle things, like referring to one of the characters by ‘their’ as opposed to him or her. I liked the fact that the kids all looked different and had different interests. I liked the overall gentle feeling of this book, that matches so well with A Family is a Family is a Family.

I think all kids are feeling the pressure/anxiety right now when it comes to returning to school. My kids are doing online learning (at least until they’re vaccinated), and they’re worried about that (last year was homeschool, so this year will be different). A book like this one is a great way to remind them that kids are all just looking for a kind friend and someone to play with. If you’re a teacher, pick up this book. If you’re a parent, check it out. Your kiddo will enjoy it, I promise.

Lily’s Rating: 5/5

Mama’s Rating: A+

Hello, blog readers! I have been a bit absent lately…but I have three good reasons.

1. The kids went back to school. You’d think that would mean MORE time to write, but not exactly. It’s a bit dicey at the beginning of the year, what with all the forms and books and stuff to keep track of.

Oh, and the constant, non-stop sickness. That too.

2. Lily was just diagnosed with celiac disease. We were worried about her tummy earlier this summer, and I had a VERY strong suspicion as to what was going on, but a blood test confirmed it. Trying to completely revamp the way we eat/eliminate AP flour (my beloved baking flour) and learning a totally new diet has been…challenging. One of the hardest things is the fact that I have a ton of allergies myself, most of which are fatal (we’re talking nuts, seeds, seafood…honey…stuff like that). So finding substitutions for Lily that are also not deadly for me has been a bit of work.
3. I’m working on a few new stories/writing some scripts (those ones are for actual money!) and trying to figure out how the heck I’m going to write a graphic novel, seeing as I can’t draw half-decently.

BUT!

All that said, I’m going to get back to reviewing amazing kidlit ASAP. I’m dedicating two days a week to kid lit blogging, so please stay tuned. I have an extensive list of books I’m going to borrow from the library and they look pretty darn awesome.

Soooo…I shall see you very soon, dear reader. 🙂

Title: Pine & Boof: The Lucky Leaf
Author/Illustrator: Ross Burach
Published: Scholastic, 2017

You guys, how is summer almost over? Like, what happened? To be TOTALLY honest, in some ways this summer has seemed quite long. (See: days when my children feel like whining and complaining and requesting snacks NON stop. How do kids that age eat so much? Also, if I hear the CATS soundtrack one more time, I might lose my dang mind. Lily is obsessed with it. I fall asleep hearing “I have a gumbie cat in mind…her name is Jenny Anydots…playing round and round in my head…but I digress.) In other ways, however, the summer has flown by.

And it has been fillllled with this book. Pine & Boof: The Lucky Leaf. Lily LOVES this story. What’s it about? I’m so glad you asked!

It’s about Boof, a bear (who happens to be afraid of bears…a fact which Lily finds endlessly amusing). Boof likes to find things and draw faces on them. In this case, a lucky red leaf. Unfortunately, it blows away. Enter Pine (the porcupine). Pine tries to help Boof find the leaf…but…it blows farther and farther away and then is totally, 100% gone.

But, surprisingly, Boof isn’t super-sad about that. Why? Because he’s had such a wonderful adventure with Pine, trying to get his leaf back. And he’s made a REAL friend. Someone who will adventure with him forever.

All together now: awww!

This book is one of my go-to stories for bedtime. Why? There are four reasons!

1. It’s funny. I like funny, what can I say? Lily really likes the part where Pine is searching for the leaf and looks “under a Boof.” Hilarious!
2. The art works perfectly with the text. I really dig Ross Burach’s cartoon-y style. The text is hilarious and the pictures are excellent. Lily’s favourite page is when Boof is supposed to be explaining something “calmly” according to the text, but the picture shows him sobbing hysterically. Brilliant.
3. It’s a great length. I am always leery of overly-wordy books at bedtime (looking at you AGAIN, Berenstain Bears). This one hits the mark perfectly.
4. It has a great denouement. The end is fun and happy, but the adventure is officially over for the night, so let’s hit the hay and dream of new adventures tomorrow. (Hint, hint, Lily.)I’m going to be honest: I hadn’t heard of Ross Burach until he appeared in our Scholastic book order last year. We got a bundle of his books and I’m so glad we did! They’re all fantastic (Truck Full of Ducks is a personal favourite), and Lily LOVES them. We were at the library today and she specifically looked for him on the shelves. If you haven’t read any of his stuff, you’re missing out! Pick up absolutely anything he’s written, and I guarantee your little one will enjoy it. And so will you!

Mama’s rating: 5 happy leaves/5

Lily’s rating: “This book is hilarious! I really like the part where they look under Boof. Ha!”

Title: I’m Sad
Author: Michael Ian Black
Illustrator: Debbie Ridpath Ohi
Published: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2018

When I was a kid, my parents had, like, two parenting books to read. One of them was Dr. Spock. The other was a book of parenting jokes that someone had given to them when I was born. So they didn’t have a whole lot to go on other than well-meaning advice, gut feelings and very sparse expert guidance. These days, it’s a whole different story. There are eighty-billion parenting books, all telling you the many ways you might permanently psychologically damage your offspring.

And man, it’s stressful. That’s why I eat chocolate, people. That’s why.

What does any of this have to do with today’s book? Well, one of the things many of the parenting books (and websites and Twitter feeds and blogs…) talk about is how to deal with your children’s emotions. And sadness? That’s a biggie. Don’t mess that one up or you’re in trouble.

I TRY my very best to be okay with my kiddos not being happy all the time. Actually, if they’re mad or tired or curious or any number of other emotions, I’m absolutely fine with it. But sadness? I think it’s the default reaction of most people to want to just whisk it away. Just…don’t BE sad! It’s a message we get all the time: happy is good. Sad is bad. But is it? No, of course not. It’s normal and natural and sometimes totally, completely, 100% warranted (note to my children: not getting the Shopkins you wanted doesn’t fall into this category…at least not for more than five minutes).

That’s why I really, really liked I’m Sad by the wonderfully talented Michael Ian Black and artiste extraordinaire, Debbie Ridpath Ohi. This book follows characters we met in I’m Bored – the little girl, the flamingo and (my favourite) the potato. In I’m Sad, the flamingo is feeling blue. She* doesn’t really explain why, but she just IS. And you know what? The little girl and the potato are absolutely fine with that. Sure, they try to cheer her up, but when it becomes obvious that whatever’s on the flamingo’s mind isn’t going to go away easily, they’re fine with her mood.  They reassure her that they still like her (well, except the potato…who makes a joke that DOES get the flamingo giggling and makes her feel a bit better). They accept her for whatever she is feeling.

Which is such a tremendously powerful message for kids to hear. It’s fine to feel what you’re feeling. And maybe it’ll go away quickly, and maybe not. But your friends are there for you, regardless.

And the art. Can we talk about it for a second? It’s great. I love Debbie Ridpath Ohi’s style. It feels a bit reminiscent of Mo Willems’ art, in its simplicity and how well it conveys the characters’ emotions. The colour palette is lovely and the pictures are just a lot of fun to look at. I also like the different font styles used for each characters’ dialogue.

My kids had the following thoughts (this is after the fifth reading, mind you. Our library books get a good workout.):

Lily: “The best part was when the potato made the flamingo laugh. That was so friendly.”

Vivi: “The whole book is great. Sadness is something kids should talk about.”

And, of course, not to be left out, Karl: “The ending was really strong. And I really liked the art.”

As for me, I think I’m Sad is a gentle, kind, reassuring read. It’s the type of book all kids need to read. We will definitely be getting a copy to add to our collection!

Lily’s Rating: All the flamingos
Vivi’s Rating: A+
Mama’s Rating: Five potatoes out of five

*Note: we don’t really know the gender of the flamingo, but in this house…everything is a girl. Sorry, Karl.

Title: Good Morning, Grumple
Author: Victoria Allenby
Illustrator: Manon Gauthier
Published: Pajama Press, 2017

If you know Vivi personally, you are probably aware of her extreme grump-ish tendencies. In fact, Vivi’s nickname is Grumpkin (given to her on day three of life). My brother has always referred to her as “Grumples,” so when I saw this book at the library, I HAD to read it.

It’s the story of an exceptionally grumpy ‘Grumple’ and how to help the little critter wake up and face the day without TOO much hassle.

Because mornings for a Grumple? So hard. So very hard. My Grumple tends to be a night-owl. If Vivi set the work/school day, she’d start at around 10:00 AM and hit the hay around 10:00 PM. Hopefully, when she’s a well-paid animal dentist (her ideal career currently), she can set her own hours.

This was one of those “I liked a few buts of it, but won’t be buying it for our collection” books. Here’s the stuff I liked:

1. I liked the concept of a Grumple. Most kids aren’t super-excited to wake up every morning (Lily is the exception, and I expect this will change when she starts school in the fall). Parents can relate to the tightrope act of having to wake kids up cheerfully…but not TOO cheerfully.
2. I liked the escalation of volume that the mother uses when she’s trying to wake her Grumple up.
3. I’m unsure about the art. I like the character of the Grumple. It’s cute. But…the rest of the art…well, let’s move on to part two.

Part 2: This is the stuff I had issues with:

1. The art. I’m conflicted, because I see what the artist was doing. The book looks as if it could’ve been drawn by a child…on purpose, of course. The art appears to be made from cut paper/pencil crayon/pencil/paint. The colour palette is simple and muted. I WANT to like the art, but in my heart of hearts…I just don’t. Picture book art these days has such high standards (shout out to Mo Willems, John J. Muth, Barbara Reid, Dan Santat…the list goes on and on). I feel like you need to bring your A-game. This doesn’t feel like an A-game.
2. The rhythm of the story. Picture books are sort of like music. Reading them has to feel natural and good text has a certain cadence to it. I had a REALLY hard time finding the right way to read this book. (And if you know me, you know I give it my all when I’m reading a picture book. I am not afraid to get into character/make a fool of myself if it makes the story more fun). I tried it three different ways and, honestly, nothing felt ‘right.’
3. My kids didn’t find it funny. I thought that, at the very least, Vivi would get a kick out of the ‘Grumple’ thing. Nope. Any book my kiddos don’t get into is a bit of a surprise, as they love a wide variety of stories. They didn’t want to hear this one again.
4. I know I’m being picky, but there’s an incorrect usage of ‘it’s’ in the story. It should be ‘its’ but there’s a pesky apostrophe popping in where it shouldn’t be. Yeah, it’s minor…but this is a published, printed book. It shouldn’t have typos.

So…yeah. I don’t love doing reviews of books I don’t enjoy, but there you go. I had high hopes, but this one just left me feeling…well…grumpy.

Mama’s Review: C-Game
Lily’s Review: Meh.

Title: Have You Seen Birds?
Author: Joanne Oppenheim
Illustrator: Barbara Reid
Published: Scholastic, 1986

You guys, I feel kind of silly. I called myself a HUGE picture book fan, but I wasn’t familiar with the work of the uber-talented Toronto-based artist, Barbara Reid.

Until I had kids, that is.

Barbara Reid is a phenomenal artist. The first book of hers that we received was Welcome, Baby. We had a book-themed baby shower for Vivi and one of my dear friends gave us a copy. I don’t know if it was pregnancy hormones or the fact that the book is just beautifully written and illustrated, but I totally bawled when I read it. And, I’m not ashamed to admit, I still get teary-eyed when I read it now. (Even though my kiddos are ‘too old’ for board books, there are some that still live on our shelves. And occasionally I force them to listen to them once more. I figure having a mom like me will be character-building in the long run.)

Whenever we see Ms. Reid’s books at Chapters or in the Scholastic book order, we make sure to add them to our library. One of Lily’s favourites is Have You Seen Birds? It’s not new (although it was in a recent book order), but it was new to us. What’s it about? Well, in a word: birds.

But in more words, it’s about different types of birds, where they live, what they look like, what they eat – useful information like that. And the pictures? Well, they’re excellent. Barbara Reid illustrates in plasticine. This gives the illustrations a totally different look than if they were drawn in any other medium. There’s a real 3-D quality to every picture, and the details and textures are wonderful.

The story itself is minimal, almost poetic. But it works really well with the pictures, is fun to read aloud and makes for a great pre-bedtime story. Lily can name almost every single species of bird in the book, and has only one criticism to share: “Where’s the red-winged-blackbird? He seems to be missing.”

(Back story: Lily has a special relationship with a red-winged-blackbird that frequents our bird feeder. His name is Montaboo and she loves him. She was dismayed he didn’t make the book.)

Beyond that, however, it’s a pretty well perfect picture book. Let’s hear it for the birds!

Mama’s review: 5/5 delicious worms
Lily’s review: “I still love it, even if Monty is missing.”

Title: School’s First Day of School
Author: Adam Rex
Pictures: Christian Robinson
Published: Scholastic, 2016

Do you guys know how fast time flies when you’re a mom? Fast. Really, really fast.  Until now, I’d never really understood what MY mom meant when she said, “Just blink and she’ll be in school. Then she’ll be graduating grade 8. Then she’ll be graduating high school. Then university. Then getting her masters. Then her doctorate. Then having kids of her own. It’ll happen like THAT!” (She snaps her fingers at this point.)

OK, so maybe it’s not THAT fast (my mother is known for being *slightly* into hyperbole), but man. I didn’t figure Lily would be in kindergarten SO SOON.

Like, September soon. Three months, people. THREE.

We’ve been REALLY talking up the whole school thing. Lily is exceptionally shy with people she doesn’t know (and exceptionally loud and outgoing at home), so we’re trying to get her stoked about starting something new/making friends/learning all kinds of cool things. It helps that the principal at her school is really amazing and understanding and has already dealt with the challenges of Vivi.

One thing I’ve been doing (subtly) is reading more school-related books. Lily really, really likes School’s First Day of School. As do I! It’s just perfect for anyone who happens to feel slightly apprehensive about the start of a new school year. It’s written by the fabulous Adam Rex (we own so many of his books now…my favourite is still Nothing Rhymes with Orange, but the girls are giant The Legend of Rock, Paper, Scissors fans too) and illustrated by the uber-talented Christian Robinson. (I love Last Stop on Market Street and When’s My Birthday?)

Here’s why the book works so well:

1. The art. Picture books need good art. There, I said it. Christian Robinson is such an amazingly talented illustrator. I wish I had, like, 1/100th of his skill. The pictures are bright and colourful and engaging. The textures and colours he uses are so playful and just suit the story perfectly. I’m a fan!
2. The story is simple but clever. I really like “At three o’clock, the parents came to pick up the children. At three-thirty, Janitor came to pick up the school.” The story is well-written and fun. (I also like the multiple Aidens and a Caiden in the kindergarten room. #accurate)
3. The school is so earnest and wants so much to be liked (just like every single kid on their first day).

So, in conclusion, you need this book ASAP. Especially if you have a little one starting school in the fall. Which I do.

I still can’t believe it.

Mama’s Review: 5/5 smiling schools

Lily’s Review: I love this book!

Title: Diary of an Awesome Friendly Kid (Rowley Jefferson’s Journal)
Author/Illustrator: Jeff Kinney
Published: Amulet Books, 2019

Guys, guys, guys. I’ve been putting off writing this review for two weeks. Every time I start, I stop.

This is a really tough one for me.

See, I love Jeff Kinney’s Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. Or, I loved it. Love? Loved? I don’t know. Because Diary of an Awesome Friendly Kid has changed my view of the ENTIRE series.

Let me back this review up. Pump the brakes. Give you some backstory.

Backstory

I fell in love with Diary of a Wimpy Kid when Greg Heffley existed only online. I worked for a children’s website at that point, and we kept an eye on our competitors. I found DOAWK one day and read it all in one sitting. I thought Greg was an awkward, snarky, geeky character who occasionally did kind things. He was never, ever what I’d call a bully.

I own every single DOAWK book (truth: my husband buys me the latest one for Christmas every year). And, yeah, they’re not ALL totally amazing, but they’re fun to read and book 3 (The Last Straw) has one of the funniest scenes I’ve ever seen in an MG book. (Spoiler alert: it’s all about how Shel Silverstein looks more like a pirate than a children’s author. It’s hilariously funny. I laughed out loud when I first read the book.)

Which brings us to now.

Safe to say, I was excited to discover Rowley’s diary in the Scholastic book order.

Excited, but a bit nervous.

See, Rowley has had his moments in the series, but mostly he’s sort of the Rod/Todd Flanders to Greg’s geeky Bart. Rowley hasn’t ever shown a great deal of personality (beyond being a major goody-goody) – and definitely not enough to make up an entire book.

So, in my mind, Jeff Kinney had two choices:

1. To give Rowley a personality.
2. To run with the fact that Rowley doesn’t have much of a personality, but to put him into situations that are funny/interesting, and test his goody-goody nature.

Apparently there was a third choice:

3. Create a book that ignores 13 prior books and ventures into totally new territory.

The book starts with Rowley introducing Greg almost immediately. He tells the reader that although Greg is his friend, his parents don’t like Greg (I feel you, Jeffersons). It’s very clear why. On page 7, Greg ‘whaps’ Rowley upside the head with his own diary.

Wait, what?

This is just the start of Greg’s immense jackassery. Here, in no particular order of jerkiness, are some of the things Greg did in this book:

1. Egged Mr. Jefferson’s car.
2. Made Rowley write his (Greg’s) biography, instead of a book about himself (Rowley).
3. Stole Rowley’s bike.
4. Made Rowley the butt of his jokes.
5. Ditched Rowley in the woods at night and went home to watch TV.
6. Tricked Rowley into thinking a burglar had broken into his house, then got mad when Rowley freaked out and fought back (with a tennis racket).
7. Chased Rowley with a slug.
8. Created fake awards for Rowley to make him his own personal servant.
9. Was a complete and total monster at the library when they were meant to be studying.
10. Cheated from Rowley on a math test.
11. Wrecked the ONE nice thing he did for Rowley by telling him that he (Rowley) owed him (Greg) a ton more favours.
12. Lied to Rowley about random things.
13. Locked Rowley outside at night.
14. Laughed at Rowley’s creative ideas.
15. Nicknamed Rowley “Stoop.”
16. Licked Rowley’s food.
17. Wouldn’t let Rowley use the bathroom at a sleepover.
18. Whapped Rowley with a book again.

    All of these things paint Greg in a REALLY negative light. Like, who on earth would want to read 13 books about this kind of bully? I don’t know why, as an author, you’d throw out 13 books of canon and just…start over? Make up completely new characters? I mean, Greg has never been a saint…but…he’s never been like THAT either. Why, Jeff Kinney? Why? Where’s the funny, dry humour combined with absurd situations we’ve grown to know and love? (The one decent part of this book was the series of “Zoo-Wee Mama” strips. They felt like OG DOAWK).

    One more thing…
    I know a kid who’s been bullied this year…a LOT. I know what it’s done to him and his family. Some people will argue that the events in DOAAFK are just kids being goofy. But here’s the thing: it’s a completely unbalanced relationship. Rowley rarely, if ever, gets Greg back. It’s all one-sided and Rowley’s the victim. And formerly geeky, snarky, not-awful Greg is now a complete bully and total ass. I am SO behind the Jeffersons – they’re right: Rowley needs new friends.

    So, what next?
    Welp, if it was me writing this, I’d pretend DOAAFK never existed and go back to writing about Greg being the kid he’s always been. And, truthfully, I’d wrap up the series. Better to leave on a high note than, well, something like this.

Mama’s Review: Man. I’m so disappointed. I don’t even have a clever rating system for it.