You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
Rating: 4.5
Pawcasso is a fun and sweet graphic novel perfect for all ages and dog lovers! We follow our main character, Jo, who discovers a dog roaming the mall, basket in mouth, doing its own shopping! After following the adorable dog and naming him “Pawcasso” Jo gets mistaken as Pawcasso’s owner. Without Jo knowing who are the real owners of the dog are, she continues with the lie. What’s starts off as a Chihuahua-sized fib soon snowballs into a Great Dane-sized problem.
The artwork and characters were brilliant and well developed. I couldn’t put it down and loved the story. This graphic novel deals with a lot of different topics, like family relationships and loneliness and I think handled them all perfectly.
I definitely recommend all dog lovers to pick this up! This is also a perfect graphic novel to pick up for people new to the format. It was easy to follow and a lot of fun!
Thank you to Allen & Unwin for sending me a copy of this to review! All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Pawcasso is a fun and sweet graphic novel perfect for all ages and dog lovers! We follow our main character, Jo, who discovers a dog roaming the mall, basket in mouth, doing its own shopping! After following the adorable dog and naming him “Pawcasso” Jo gets mistaken as Pawcasso’s owner. Without Jo knowing who are the real owners of the dog are, she continues with the lie. What’s starts off as a Chihuahua-sized fib soon snowballs into a Great Dane-sized problem.
The artwork and characters were brilliant and well developed. I couldn’t put it down and loved the story. This graphic novel deals with a lot of different topics, like family relationships and loneliness and I think handled them all perfectly.
I definitely recommend all dog lovers to pick this up! This is also a perfect graphic novel to pick up for people new to the format. It was easy to follow and a lot of fun!
Thank you to Allen & Unwin for sending me a copy of this to review! All thoughts and opinions are my own.
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
funny
informative
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This looks like a lighthearted book, with all the bright colors and all.
That is what draws you in. But there is sadness, because Jo's father can only visit every few months, and then, after a week, he leaves again. It is a bit like having him die over and over, and Jo has just given up caring.
And then she meets a dog, who goes out with a shopping basket, and goes from store to store picking up things for its owner.
And everyone loves the dog, and the owner isnt' around, so what is wrong with pretending to be the owner.
And suddenly, everyone loves Jo too.
But lies can backfire.
Great book. Loved the whole story. Well presented. Fun seeing how Jo finds out Pawcasso's ower, and how she deals with it all.
That is what draws you in. But there is sadness, because Jo's father can only visit every few months, and then, after a week, he leaves again. It is a bit like having him die over and over, and Jo has just given up caring.
And then she meets a dog, who goes out with a shopping basket, and goes from store to store picking up things for its owner.
And everyone loves the dog, and the owner isnt' around, so what is wrong with pretending to be the owner.
And suddenly, everyone loves Jo too.
But lies can backfire.
Great book. Loved the whole story. Well presented. Fun seeing how Jo finds out Pawcasso's ower, and how she deals with it all.
ARC courtesy of NetGalley.
What happens when a little lie grows and grows out of your control? Jo finds out pretty quickly in Pawcasso. The story is action packed with lots of heart. I loved Jo's creativity and her attitude. I'm not a dog lover myself so I appreciated the nuance with which the leash discussion and how it makes different people feel. Readers will root for Jo, for Pawcasso, and for the whole community. This will be a great summertime read!
What happens when a little lie grows and grows out of your control? Jo finds out pretty quickly in Pawcasso. The story is action packed with lots of heart. I loved Jo's creativity and her attitude. I'm not a dog lover myself so I appreciated the nuance with which the leash discussion and how it makes different people feel. Readers will root for Jo, for Pawcasso, and for the whole community. This will be a great summertime read!
You can find my full review on my blog, The Bookwyrm's Den, here.
Many thanks to Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group for a copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
My 10-year-old daughter, Minion, reviewed this one for my blog, so I'll include her review here.
Pawcasso is about a dog that wanders around town with no leash on and some people are mad about that. Also, Pawcasso goes to an art club every week and the kids always paint a picture of him. Jo tries to make friends with the kids at the art club, but she lies about owning Pawcasso, which you should never do.
Minion's Thoughts
I gave this book five unicorn horns because I really like dogs and books about dogs, and I liked the dog Pawcasso. I think it was cool how Pawcasso would go around town getting things for his owner. There was an art club in the book, which I really liked because I love art. I learned some things, too.
Five things Minion liked:
- Pawcasso could get things for his owner by himself by going into town with a picnic basket, a list, and some money.
- Pawcasso went to an art club, where the children made art of him. There’s painting, too, and I love to paint!
- Most people in the town knew Pawcasso, but some didn’t, and it caused a problem.
- Pawcasso is really cute and funny, just like my dogs!
- You shouldn’t lie that a dog is yours just to get attention (but I would still want the dog!).
My Thoughts
How to even say how much I enjoyed this book? First of all, Minion is a reluctant reader, so trying to find something that catches her attention is a challenge at the best of times. It’s hard to go wrong with dog books, though. Minion and I read this together, and she read the entire thing to me (normally we need to alternate pages) and talked about the pictures and some of the things going on.
Pawcasso is a book about a dog, of course, but it’s really so much more than that, and I appreciated the complexities of the book. I’m not sure Minion really cared as much, but at least I know she still got things out of it, since we had a nice discussion about it! The main character, Jo, is extremely relatable. What she really wants, more than anything, is a dog . . . and maybe a few friends? She struggles with making friends, with siblings that she doesn’t always get along with, and with the fact that her father is often away on business.
At the heart of the story, of course, is a dog named Pawcasso, who’s really quite a character in and of himself. Pawcasso attracts attention because he travels into town with a basket with money and a shopping list. No one knows where he comes from, but he’s a regular, once a week. Some people love Pawcasso. Others are concerned about a dog wandering around off a leash with no owner. This really divides the town and sparks a discussion about leash laws and dog ownership and how to handle (or, sometimes, how to not handle) disagreements with your neighbors.
Pawcasso is definitely funny, with all sorts of quirky characters. Jo herself can be funny, and Pawcasso certainly, especially his penchant for rolling in poop. All the characters are memorable, though, and there’s more to them than they seem. Even Jo’s sister, Tina, who comes through in some touching sibling bond moments. Even the cranky old man that lives across the street from the dog groomer and seems to hate dogs with a passion. Lai does a marvelous job of weaving deeper backstories into each character.
Pawcasso can be serious, too, though, and I was surprised by how hard it hit me in the feels. I was expecting a feel-good story about a dog, but this book is so much more than that! Yes, that’s also part of it, but it sends a wonderful message at the same time while hitting all the right feels. It’s a book that kids will enjoy and that parents won’t mind reading together. It’s got a little bit of something for everyone.
This is also a book I’d definitely recommend for teachers and librarians. It’d be a great addition to any library or classroom. In my library’s case, at least, graphic novels are really gaining in popularity, so that’s always a win. Not only does it have colorful, easy-to-follow artwork, but it sends a message that’s really important for kids about how to disagree the right way and that there are two sides to every argument. Sometimes you have to stop and take a moment to consider someone else’s perspective.
Many thanks to Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group for a copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
My 10-year-old daughter, Minion, reviewed this one for my blog, so I'll include her review here.
Pawcasso is about a dog that wanders around town with no leash on and some people are mad about that. Also, Pawcasso goes to an art club every week and the kids always paint a picture of him. Jo tries to make friends with the kids at the art club, but she lies about owning Pawcasso, which you should never do.
Minion's Thoughts
I gave this book five unicorn horns because I really like dogs and books about dogs, and I liked the dog Pawcasso. I think it was cool how Pawcasso would go around town getting things for his owner. There was an art club in the book, which I really liked because I love art. I learned some things, too.
Five things Minion liked:
- Pawcasso could get things for his owner by himself by going into town with a picnic basket, a list, and some money.
- Pawcasso went to an art club, where the children made art of him. There’s painting, too, and I love to paint!
- Most people in the town knew Pawcasso, but some didn’t, and it caused a problem.
- Pawcasso is really cute and funny, just like my dogs!
- You shouldn’t lie that a dog is yours just to get attention (but I would still want the dog!).
My Thoughts
How to even say how much I enjoyed this book? First of all, Minion is a reluctant reader, so trying to find something that catches her attention is a challenge at the best of times. It’s hard to go wrong with dog books, though. Minion and I read this together, and she read the entire thing to me (normally we need to alternate pages) and talked about the pictures and some of the things going on.
Pawcasso is a book about a dog, of course, but it’s really so much more than that, and I appreciated the complexities of the book. I’m not sure Minion really cared as much, but at least I know she still got things out of it, since we had a nice discussion about it! The main character, Jo, is extremely relatable. What she really wants, more than anything, is a dog . . . and maybe a few friends? She struggles with making friends, with siblings that she doesn’t always get along with, and with the fact that her father is often away on business.
At the heart of the story, of course, is a dog named Pawcasso, who’s really quite a character in and of himself. Pawcasso attracts attention because he travels into town with a basket with money and a shopping list. No one knows where he comes from, but he’s a regular, once a week. Some people love Pawcasso. Others are concerned about a dog wandering around off a leash with no owner. This really divides the town and sparks a discussion about leash laws and dog ownership and how to handle (or, sometimes, how to not handle) disagreements with your neighbors.
Pawcasso is definitely funny, with all sorts of quirky characters. Jo herself can be funny, and Pawcasso certainly, especially his penchant for rolling in poop. All the characters are memorable, though, and there’s more to them than they seem. Even Jo’s sister, Tina, who comes through in some touching sibling bond moments. Even the cranky old man that lives across the street from the dog groomer and seems to hate dogs with a passion. Lai does a marvelous job of weaving deeper backstories into each character.
Pawcasso can be serious, too, though, and I was surprised by how hard it hit me in the feels. I was expecting a feel-good story about a dog, but this book is so much more than that! Yes, that’s also part of it, but it sends a wonderful message at the same time while hitting all the right feels. It’s a book that kids will enjoy and that parents won’t mind reading together. It’s got a little bit of something for everyone.
This is also a book I’d definitely recommend for teachers and librarians. It’d be a great addition to any library or classroom. In my library’s case, at least, graphic novels are really gaining in popularity, so that’s always a win. Not only does it have colorful, easy-to-follow artwork, but it sends a message that’s really important for kids about how to disagree the right way and that there are two sides to every argument. Sometimes you have to stop and take a moment to consider someone else’s perspective.
So freaking cute. So wholesome! I can't! This one is just so adorable, but at times very poignant and aaah! It's just so cute and has a lot of heart!