Cloud Puppy (Cloud Puppy #1)

Miller (I Love My Magic) delivers a bright dose of sunshine wrapped in a wondrously silly package in this meta graphic novel series opener. Cloud Puppy is exactly who she says she is: part cloud, part puppy, and all rainbows and sunbeams (except for when she gets mad). She and her best friend Berry Rose, who is part unicorn and part bear, are preparing to attend a convention, where they will cosplay as beloved characters and meet their favorite comic book creator. But conflict arises when Cloud Puppy and Berry Rose each choose to portray the same character, resulting in their first-ever disagreement. Rather than conjuring a battle between the BFFs, Miller nimbly combines humor and heart to depict reconciliation and the strength of compromise in cotton candy-colored vignettes that render Cloud Puppy and her friends in endearing and lighthearted situations. The creator eschews cutesy commonplace kitsch via vibrant and irreverent illustrations, and Cloud Puppy’s shameless enthusiasm for her own geekiness and her determination to venture out into the bustling world of comics and conventions is refreshing and contagiously positive. Ages 6–9. Agent: Thao Le, Dijkstra Agency. (May)