Arlo & Pips: King of the Birds
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- $9.99
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
Perfect for fans of Narwhal and Jelly, Arlo & Pips: King of the Birds is the first in a new early graphic chapter book series about the friendship between Arlo, an arrogant crow, and a sarcastic little bird named Pips.
Like most crows, Arlo has a big brain. But Arlo has something else: a little pal who’s not afraid to tell him when he’s being insufferable!
In the first of three episodes, a battle of the brains and bird-to-bird banter soon turns into an unexpected friendship. Arlo and Pips' adventures include a visit the big city and the beach on their hunt for shiny things and French fries. Cool crow facts are included throughout the book.
Everyone's crowing about Arlo & Pips, with Kirkus praising it as "a perfect match for newly independent readers"!
More praise for Arlo & Pips #1: King of the Crows: A New York Public Library Best Book * A Chicago Public Library Best of the Best * A Junior Library Guild Selection * "An unexpected friendship story! In three short graphic chapters marked by [Gravel’s] signature sly humor, facts about crows are sprinkled throughout, making the reader believe that maybe crows are truly as amazing as Arlo says.” —The Horn Book (starred review)
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Stripped-down forms, bold black contours, and hand-lettered type by Gravel (I Am Scary) reveal crows' many talents in this simple story of would-be friendship. Pips, a tiny yellow bird, overhears braggart crow Arlo's proclamations: "No bird is greater than... me. The Crow," Arlo announces. "Hello, my dear fans," he greets Pips, tipping his golden crown. "Wait, what?" interrupts Pips. More proud talk follows ("I'm gorgeous") before the two strike up an acquaintance from which emerges various facts about crow behavior. In one sequence, Arlo spies a sleeve of discarded French fries and promptly keels over when another crow approaches. Pips is alarmed, but it's part of a plan, and a red star in a speech balloon points to an explanation below: "Some crows have been seen playing dead to fool other crows and keep food for themselves." More crow facts appear throughout like cereal-box prizes. Pips never makes much headway with Arlo's huge ego ("You're a pretty good actor," Pips says gallantly. "I know," says Arlo. "I'm the best"), but fascinating crow info paired with Gravel's distinctive panels and snappy dialogue nevertheless engage throughout. Ages 6 10.
