Grace for Gus

Grace has dark hair and bangs, and her glasses reflect the light--she looks quite a bit like Marcie from Peanuts, which is far from the only comics reference that Bliss (Bailey) sneaks into this mostly wordless love letter to New York City, classic cartoons, and entrepreneurial ingenuity. Grace's Manhattan classroom has a hamster named Gus, and her teacher reminds the class to contribute to Gus's "buddy fund." Grace hurries home, eats dinner with her two fathers, kisses them goodnight, and promptly sneaks out into the nighttime city. She's a busker, and a multitalented one at that, playing violin, drawing caricatures, and deploying a gymnastic "showtime" subway routine for an audience that includes Woody Allen, Donald Trump, and a grownup version of Ernie Bushmiller's Nancy. The fun comes partly from watching as Grace's resourcefulness powers her to her goal and partly from Bliss's panels, which are crammed with New York City Easter eggs and references to writers, comedians, and cartoon characters. Despite potential dangers, Grace's plan goes off without a hitch, and she remains cool and poised. An easy candidate for cherished bedtime favorite. Ages 4-8. Agent: Holly McGhee, Pippin Properties. (Feb.)

K-Gr 3--Grace and her fellow students are raising money to buy Gus, the class guinea pig, a friend. But the "Gus Buddy Fund" is woefully low, so Grace decides to do her part. After dinner with her fathers, she waves goodbye to her cat and climbs out her window. First, Grace takes out her violin and busks at the West 4th Street subway station. Next, it's on to Fifth Avenue, where she turns caricature artist outside Central Park, and finally back into the subway, with a crowd-pleasing break dancing performance. Bliss's latest oozes with references to Manhattan, classic comic strips, and pop culture (Bernie Madoff, Alfred Hitchcock, Muddy Waters), most of which will go over children's heads but will delight adults. Cameos abound, too. Andy Warhol saunters by Grace's school, Woody Allen and Donald Trump cheer her subway show, and Tintin gazes after her as she leaves the train. And Grace, with her round glasses and short dark bob, is a dead ringer for Marcie (of Peanuts). Still, there's plenty here to pique young readers' interest. Beautifully paced and bursting with sight gags, Bliss's nearly wordless tale is a superb example of visual storytelling. Opaque colors and thick black outlines evoke the simplicity of a comic strip landscape, but the many background details emphasize the richness of Grace's city and will encourage readers to see their own worlds in a new light. VERDICT A joyful romp that will entice budding graphic novel fans and grown-ups alike.--Mahnaz Dar, School Library Journal