Join the Crow Crowd! - Elise Gravel - ★★★★.¼

AUTHOR: Elise Gravel

SERIES: Arlo & Pips, #2

GENRE: Children's Graphic Novel.

PUBLICATION DATE: August 17, 2021

RATING: 4.25 stars.

In a Nutshell: The second book of the Arlo & Pips early-reader chapter book series. Continues the fun from the first book with the same adorable characters.

Arlo has now settled in the city, but he is lonely. When he confesses to Pips that he doesn’t have any other crow friends, Pips takes him to a park where a ‘murder’ resides. Arlo learns that there are others crows cleverer than him, and even meets the love of his life. (🤭😄)

Like the first book: 'King of the Birds', this beginner graphic novel also contains three short chapters. The theme of each chapter might be different but they are all interlinked, with each taking the story ahead.

Arlo isn't as boastful as in the first book… well, for most of the book anyway. Pips and he still share the same equation. Arlo brags about his talents; Pips, yet again the voice of reason, listens patiently until he finally loses his cool and tells Arlo to rein it in.

As the is a new group of crows introduced in this book, we get to see crow facts that Arlo didn’t earlier have access too. But the best part was when Arlo swoons over Marla. It was funny to see him finally in love with someone other than himself. 😄 The final page was also hilarious. I can't tell you the ending, but I burst out laughing at that scene. I could actually picture my kids making the same face as Pips had they seen Arlo and Marla in action. (Nothing crude, don’t worry.)

Just like the first book, there are plenty of footnotes, most of them containing facts about crows, though a couple break the norm. I loved all of these.

The art style and font typeface is the same as in the first book, and I liked it just as much. The only thing is, one word was deliberately misspelt to show that a crow could have another accent but as this is a very common word, it might be confusing to little readers. Perhaps the misspelt word could have been italicised to set it apart.

All in all, I enjoyed this just as much as Book One. The content makes this an apt read for kiddos aged 4-9 years. It would also be a great option for readers who are transitioning from picture books to chapter books.

Definitely recommended! The book can work as a standalone, but the relationship between Arlo and Pips comes out much better if you begin with the first book and proceed in series order.