Dog & Hat

A yellow dog and his best friend, a talkative green chapeau, embark on an extraordinary quest through the sewers in this madcap graphic novel debut, a series starter from Shuler. The hijinks begin at a cluttered novelty shop, where the red polka dots decorating Dog's shirt suddenly vamoose. On the street, the duo discover the disappearing dots as they bounce down a storm drain--and so commences a subterranean journey to recover the rogue spots. As the pair access an open manhole, receive a map from Sewer Cat, and float through the water park--like sewer, goofy banter drives the wild tale forward until they arrive at the yawning jaws of a hungry alligator who is covered with Dog's missing dots. The suspense remains high as the friends attempt to reclaim the spots and escape the gator, until help comes from an unexpected source, providing an offbeat exit strategy that leaves room for a planned sequel. Busy, color-saturated panels explode with urban patterns, and scenes burst with humorous details and hidden objects, including an ad-addled sewer map and Sewer Cat's "neat sewer supplies." Though the visually appealing, action-packed adventure is wildly absurdist, there's nothing outlandish about the friendship at this graphic novel's center. Ages 6--9. Agent: Jennifer Laughran, Andrea Brown Literary. (Mar.)

What would you do if the polka dots on your shirt escaped? This first book in a new series with eye-popping comic book--style illustrations introduces a yellow anthropomorphic dog and his green talking hat. Dog and Hat have just finished shopping when catastrophe strikes--the red polka dots on Dog's favorite shirt escape and disappear down a storm drain. To retrieve them, the pals must enter and navigate the city's underground sewer system. Fortunately, the items in Dog's shopping bag--an action figure (which he trades for a sewer map), a flashlight, and a toy truck (which he uses to evade a giant alligator)--prove to be everything they need for their mission. The alligator happens to be ill with a "bad case of sneezy spots." Those spots look familiar! With some quick thinking, Doctor Hat and Nurse Dog diagnose "polka pox" and cure the alligator, but can they trust the hungry creature to not eat them? Luckily, other sewer creatures come to the rescue, and Dog and Hat make their escape. Expect to giggle over the fun facts, puns, jokes in the chapter titles, and asides. A seek-and-find prompt on the endpapers provides extra incentive to pore over the uber-colorful, busy illustrations. A treat for the eyes, this fast-paced adventure with an ever growing group of friends is both wild and witty. All characters are anthropomorphized animals. (This book was reviewed digitally.) A rollicking ride of a story with a wonderfully wacky premise. (Graphic chapter book. 5-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.