I Really Dig Pizza! (Candy James, HarperCollins)
Australian husband-and-wife team Candy and James are a creative powerhouse whose designs have been stocked at institutions including MoMA. Writing under the pseudonym Candy James, they have now turned their attention to books, releasing a new series of graphic novels for emerging readers. Inspired by the bedtime stories they made up to entertain their three-year-old daughter—and named for her two favourite soft toys, Archie and Reddie—this entertaining new series is an ideal introduction to independent reading. I Really Dig Pizza introduces us to Archie the dog, who stumbles across their favourite treat, pizza, and (in true dog style) decides to bury it for later. Unfortunately for Archie the subsequent pile of dirt provides an irresistible mystery for best friend Reddie, who is determined to uncover the culprit. Carefully designed for young readers who may be new to the comics format, the text in I Really Dig Pizza is straightforward and easy to follow. The narrative is contained almost entirely in speech bubbles that are colour-coded to each character, accompanied by fun sound effects that lend well to reading aloud with silly voices. The stylish illustrations provide plenty of opportunities to encourage visual literacy, and the madcap humour is strongly reminiscent of Mo Willems. The Archie & Reddie books are a fabulous series for readers aged five and up who are transitioning from picture books to chapter books. They are highly recommended for fans of Elephant & Piggie or Narwhal and Jelly.
Lian Hingee is the digital marketing manager at Readings.
