Hangry

Sometimes a book just comes into your life at the right time, and for me right now that book is Hangry. It is a picture book that uses comics to tell its story, about a small reptile that simply wants to explore culinary delights while visiting a big city. Unfortunately for many, the best hot dog shop in town (Hot Diggity Dog) is closed for a vacation, and the poor reptile gets increasingly angry and hungry until it grows into kaiju-sized proportions and wreaks havoc. Not even a truck-load of cabbage or broccoli can sate its hunger, although they both result in a giant belch. A hotdog vendor does intervene to help feed the poor reptile, but a pigeon makes matters worse...

As you might can tell from my summary, this book is fun and funny. It features colorful, bombastic artwork, sprinkled with visual gags. The premise is silly but well executed, and the story is quite pleasing to my 3- and 1-year-old sons, who both love to have a book read to them while they eat. This one makes them giggle and also eat, and the 3-year-old wants to hear it on a loop, at bedtime, and even wants to take it to preschool. That's a huge endorsement. I like reading it aloud, too, as it gives me lots of chances to be overly dramatic, chew the scenery, and also share my love of giant reptile monsters with a new generation. It's a win for everyone!

Hangry is Drew Brockington's picture book debut, but he is no stranger to the world of comics, as he's published four graphic novels in the CatStronauts series. Also, he's got a really cool sounding name, and I look forward to checking out more of his work.

All of the reviews I have read about this book have been positive. Kirkus Reviews wrote that "both caregivers and small children will find much to chuckle at." Publishers Weekly praised the artwork with its "fun visual asides." Kate Quealy-Gainer opined that it would make for "a lively storytime performance."

Hangry was published by Little, Brown Young Readers, and they offer more info about it here.

The publisher provided a review copy.