Eat, Read, and Be Mommy

As much as getting up for 9:00 church isn’t my favorite thing, I do rather enjoy the afternoons–there’s more time to nap, to play games, to plan out the week, and to read. Yesterday while the rest of the family was chilling, having screen time, or doing the Nex, I retreated into the quiet of my room and read all of James Burks’ Gabby & Gator while laying on my bed. If you’re not familiar with James Burks, he’s the author of the ‘Bird & Squirrel’ series, which multiple of my children enjoyed (as did I, honestly). Gabby & Gator is a different plot but just as entertaining; Gator is a former pet, cast off as little more than a baby, and Gabby is a vegetarian, recycling, tuba-playing outcast bullied or laughed at by the kids around her. When they team up it seems meant to be–except for Gator’s pesky eating problem…

Frankly, I got quite a kick out of this one. In fact, I’m kind of sad that my older kids will likely pass it by, although my youngest should thoroughly enjoy it. Both Gabby and Gator are well developed characters, and Burks’ art is completely fun. It’s lighter on text than many graphic novels, so it should be accessible to both reluctant and emerging readers, and yet there’s enough there to hold the attention of all kinds. Don’t miss this one. (And if you haven’t read ‘Bird & Squirrel’, don’t miss those, either!)