  | Full Text Reviews: Booklist - 07/01/2018 Giant, genial plants and bugs make up Poppy’s garden neighborhood, where she lives in a hollowed-out-pumpkin house. Walking through the rows one day, she and her friend, Sam (a panda in a jaunty red kerchief), hear a wailing basil plant and rush toward the herb, who’s bemoaning the fact that someone nibbled her leaves in the night. Poppy and Sam are on the case, doing some classic investigations, which lead them in circles, before they settle on trying to trap the culprit red-handed. Cathon’s friendly, colorful artwork, rendered in warm, natural tones with lots of textural shading, has an Alice in Wonderland look to it—plants and bugs have expressive cartoon faces and tower over tiny, brown-skinned Poppy—and the gentle fantasy of the location carries through to the plot, which has the pleasant sort of logic of a child’s game. The episodic narrative breaks it down into easily digestible chunks, and the large panels, clearly drawn action, and ample white space around the words make this particularly well suited to newly independent readers. - Copyright 2018 Booklist. School Library Journal - 09/01/2018 K-Gr 2—This graphic novel for young readers centers on two tiny friends, Poppy, a young girl, and Sam, a miniature panda, who live in a beautiful garden where they make homes out of hollowed-out pumpkins and gourds. When their pal Basil, a plant, finds that his leaves have been nibbled overnight, Poppy and Sam interview the insects, stake out the garden, and even set a trap, but are unable to solve the mystery. As a last resort, they rub a bar of soap all over Basil's leaves and stem and wait for a trail of bubbles to lead them to their suspect. Adorable cartoon illustrations feature lovely details. The plants all have faces, and the busy activity of side characters adds to the fun: a sneaky ant walks off with Sam's sandwich; the worms smooch in the background in another panel. Confident, creative, and compassionate, Poppy leaps into action and thinks on her feet. The setting is enchanting and the resolution delightful. Children will build reading skills, and they'll soon be asking for the next Poppy and Sam story. VERDICT Highly recommended for most graphic novel collections.—Samantha Lumetta, Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County - Copyright 2018 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Loading...
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