Dog Days - by Claudia Boldt (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Best friends (and dogs!) Mia and Willow share the peaks and the potholes that come with friendship in the first volume in a funny and addictive middle grade graphic novel series.

Mia and Willow are dogs and best friends and they'd have it no other way--but Mia's giant crush on a skateboarding cat named Jesse is ruining Willow's life! The two buddies come together and apart as all BFFs do--riding bikes, complaining about homework, eating ice cream, and getting up to all kinds of hijinks. In fourteen delightful bite-size chapters drawn in comics-style panels, Dog Days is a new graphic novel series perfect for ages 8-12. It features Claudia Boldt's quirky unique art style and characters in interconnected stories. Cheeky chapter titles and ridiculous situations make for laughs on every page. Kids will relate to Mia and Willow as they take on the trials of tweendom--together!

Review Quotes

"In this graphic novel series' opening installment, best friends Willow and Mia--a bespectacled, introspective dachshund and an artsy, lighthearted French bulldog--navigate small, deeply felt tween dramas... Despite misunderstandings and hurt feelings, this warmly imagined world offers a gentle path toward forgiveness and reconnection. Boldt's distinctive anthropomorphic characters, an assortment of animals with amusingly random sizes, shapes, and accessories, are beguilingly idiosyncratic, more quirky than cute. Thin outlines, soft pastel washes, and varied perspectives give the world a cozy, handcrafted feel. Sweet, lightly humorous, occasionally just a tad purposeful, this charming, friendship-centered series opener offers relatable social bumps with reassuringly soft landings."--Booklist

"Author and illustrator Boldt specializes in anthropomorphic animal characters for her fun and entertaining stories. The characters come off as authentic in their feelings and actions, and the artistic design is on the minimalistic side, allowing the emotion of the narrative to shine through... Best shared between friends and family, this graphic novel provides an honest normalcy to growing up and is highly recommended."-School Library Journal

"Boldt's animal cast is pervasively adorable, from bespectacled, sibilant Ms. Snake, who heads up a multispecies classroom, to Mia and Willow, who often bike around town with Willow on the handlebars... These pals make plenty of time for ice cream outings, too, which leavens the pathos and angst. A friendship tale that navigates heavy moments with a light touch."--Kirkus Reviews

"The story uses humor to explore relatable childhood experiences, from disagreements between friends to deciding how to spend the money earned at a lemonade booth. The illustrations complement the humor with a bright, cheerful color palette and a loose style that captures the characters' movements and expressive facial expressions. The combination of everyday school experiences, friendship drama, and lighthearted humor offers plenty of opportunities for young readers to see themselves in the characters and their experiences."--Youth Services Book Review

About the Author

Claudia Boldt graduated with a master's degree in illustration from the Glasgow School of Art and is best known for her colorful picture book illustrations. She is a native of Germany, but decided she was fed up with the rain and currently lives in California.