Baloney and Friends: Going Up! (Baloney & Friends, 2)

Three-time Theodor Seuss Geisel Award recipient Greg Pizzoli presents the second Baloney and Friends book that Dav Pilkey declares "will inspire young readers to write and draw their own stories"!
Baloney and friends will have newly independent readers giggling their way through more day-to-day adventures in the second book of this pitch-perfect graphic novel series. Whether it's writing the lyrics to their own original theme song, having an epic sleepover in a tent, experimenting with an incredible new device that lets them reach for the sky, or thinking deep (or deeply funny) thoughts about the world around them, this new collection of mini-tales and three mini-comics will have you cheering and rooting for Baloney the pig, Bizz the bumblebee, Peanut the horse, and everyone's favorite grumpy rabbit, Krabbit! And at the end, readers will learn to draw each character with different facial expressions and emotions by following clear step-by-step instructions.
A sure bet for Elephant and Piggie fans who are ready for the next step up or want to make the move to comics." —Booklist
Don't miss the first book in the series, Baloney & Friends!\nFrom School Library Journal\nGr 1–3—Baloney and his friends are back in their second graphic novel. The differing personalities of the ensemble provide much of the humor, such as when Baloney writes a theme song for the group. Cheerful Peanut (a horse) and Bizz (a bee) are excited about their inclusion in the song, but Krabbit isn't quite so sanguine—"Choose your next words very carefully," he warns when Baloney tries to describe the crabby rabbit. When Baloney holds a yard sale, Bizz patiently explains that he is vastly overpricing items. On a camping trip, Peanut naively tries to find Baloney's missing sneeze, and then all the friends abandon the tent as Baloney passes gas. The situations are ordinary—going on a camping trip, coping with a bug bite, admiring a tree—but the characters bring the events to life with their unique responses and hilarious interactions. Pizzoli's simple yet exuberant cartoons are charming. Color-coded speech bubbles match the characters to their words and ease picture book readers into the format of comic panels. And for those who wish to create their own stories, there are directions on how to draw each of the characters. VERDICT A delightful read for early chapter book readers.—Suzanne Costner, Fairview Elem. Sch., Maryville, TN