A charming graphic novel for early readers with strong themes of friendship and kindness that celebrates difference and new ideas with a light-hearted touch.
Pocketville is a small town, set in its ways, and the arrival of a stranger causes a stir. Monti the mole is stunned one morning to find Leo the crocodile hogging his special reading rock. When Monti visits the bakery and the library, he learns that the last cinnamon roll has been purchased, and the book he was waiting for has been checked out. What’s a fastidious mole to do? When Monti confronts Leo, the newcomer turns out to be agreeable in the extreme, and friendship is a given. Now to convince the town’s cantankerous baker, Ms Sheep, to stop turning everyone against Leo. Together, Monti and Leo hatch a plot that will have Ms Sheep singing Leo’s praises in no time. This reassuring tale of friendship against the odds from the creator of the graphic memoir Sylvie draws on the author’s experiences as an immigrant and will appeal to anyone who has struggled to fit in in a new place.
With its themes of friendship and community building, it was so good to see Monti finding his own talent in the latter. Sylvie Kantorovitz effectively uses a muted colour palette, simple lines and patterning throughout presenting her tale in graphic novel format for younger readers. Red Reading Hub
For younger readers, Monti and Leo are such a brilliant pair of characters. Both kind and thoughtful… Quite short for a graphic novel (80 pages), this is perfect for readers in Year 2 upwards. In addition to the lovely story, the illustrations are gorgeous and coloured in ice cream pastel tones, which add to the gentle, cosy feel of the book and will ensure that this is very popular with those picking it up. I thoroughly enjoyed it and am hoping that there will be many more adventures for Monti and Leo to come. World's Smallest Library
Sylvie Kantorovitz was born in Casablanca and grew up in France. She is the author-illustrator of many books, including the graphic memoir Sylvie.
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