Review - Buddy and Earl

Buddy and Earl
by Maureen Fergus
illustrated by Carey Sookocheff
Date: 2010
Publisher: Groundwood Books
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 32
Format: e-book
Source: library

Buddy does not know what is in the box that Meredith carries into the living room. But when the small, prickly creature says he is a pirate — and that Buddy is a pirate too — the two mismatched friends are off on a grand adventure.

In this first book in the Buddy and Earl series, a dog who likes to play by the rules meets a hedgehog who knows no limits. Their friendship is tender and loyal, and their adventures are funny and imaginative. Maureen Fergus’s text is witty and understated, and Carey Sookocheff’s art emphasizes both the humor and the warmth of this odd and loveable animal couple.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

This is a smart little picture book about a dog and a hedgehog who become friends. Earl the hedgehog is kind of incorrigible, and leads Buddy into a bit of trouble. But it's all in good fun... even if the humans in the house don't realize what's really going on!

I enjoyed this book quite a bit. The illustrations are really simple, but the story is cute and the writing is fairly strong. I like seeing Buddy trying to puzzle out exactly what Earl is, and Earl's guesses about Buddy's identity are just as amusing.

This is apparently the first book in a series. I'd love to read some of the others to find out what other sorts of trouble these two can get into!

Quotable moment:

Premise: 4/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 4/5
Illustrations: 4/5
Originality: 4/5

Enjoyment: 5/5

Overall: 4.33 out of 5