Review by Booklist Review
Adrian is happiest at school when he goes unnoticed. The minute he's called on, fear takes over, and he is unable to speak, read, or respond. It's a lonely existence and one that sparks dread every morning until he meets a stray dog he names Heidi. With Heidi by his side, he can calm the knots in his stomach and untangle the words on the page, but when Heidi is reunited with her owner, what will happen to Adrian? Beautifully illustrated and highly introspective, this is a realistic and sympathetic rendering of what it's like for children who experience extreme anxiety. Highly detailed pencil drawings in each panel capture the minutia of Adrian's days, from his love of nature to the cruelty he experiences at the hands of his classmates. Pivotal moments in the story are rendered in brightly colored, single-page panels, lightening the melancholy air that pervades much of the story. Unusual in both tone and style, this should evoke empathy for those experiencing learning and emotional challenges.--Summer Hayes Copyright 2019 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
In this Swedish graphic novel, somber pencil drawings by Lidström introduce Adrian, a boy who daydreams in color about circus acrobatics but is defeated by school. First, a bully steals and ruins his hat; then his teacher asks him to read, and he freezes. Scenes at home make it clear that the family is stretched thin, but there's genuine love between father and son. One day, Adrian meets Heidi, a huge wire-haired dog he finds wandering about, her leash still attached. He revels in her quiet companionship, and her love makes the impossible possible: "I could feel Heidi's soft fur. The words came to me. I was reading." Soon afterward, Heidi's owner takes her back, and Adrian is bereft. But another twist leads to a gratifying reunion and shared interests. Text by A-berg, ably translated by Apelqvist, is crystalline in its economy. Full-color spreads of happy moments punctuate the dreary gray of everyday reality, especially in Adrian's dream world, in which his tumbling form is liberated from earthly cares. The creators draw a convincing portrait of a boy whose lucky break gives provides a sense of redemption and relief. Ages 7-10. (May) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Horn Book Review
berg and Lidstrm present an expressionistic story about confidence and connection told in a distinctive visual and narrative style. The spare, straightforward first-person text is organized into three parts (Before I Met Heidi, Heidi, and The Reader) and set within a flexible comics format, alternating between paneled layouts, full pages, and double-page spreads. Adrian is a young circus enthusiast with a big imagination, but he is bullied and struggles academically, especially with reading. When a big shaggy dog he names Heidi follows him home from the corner store, our protagonists life blossoms; the previously grayscale palette gives way to double-page spreads bursting with color and movement. The canine companionship boosts his confidence, and reading begins to come more easily. The childs joy abruptly stops, however, when the dogs true owner appears and takes Heidi home: My heart was empty. When Adrian runs into Heidi and the owner later, the woman introduces herself and invites the boy to her house, which is filled with circus mementos. The book ends with Adrian, upon discovering that the two are kindred spirits and that the woman is going blind, offering to read to her. Throughout this sensitively told story, wordless sections emphasize mood. Adrians whimsical interludes between chapters show him first practicing for the circus by walking on his hands, and in the end flying through the air performing a circus trapeze act; these fantastic, dreamlike sequences offer glimpses into Adrians ?blossoming inner life. elisa gall September/October 2019 p.96(c) Copyright 2019. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
This Swedish import features a child in need of a friend. Much of the narration is wordless, depicted in detailed black-and-white panels. Readers watch as Adrian is bullied at school and, later, is unable to respond when the teacher utters the titular phrase during reading. Adrian and time freeze, and the child imagines flying on a trapeze. Viewers will begin to understand that in contrast to the penciled scenes, these colorful gouache-and-ink spreads signal either a new chapter or joy. Entitled "Before I Met Heidi," this first chapter ends with Adrian at home with loving but distracted parents. Enter Heidi, with the size and shagginess of an Irish wolfhound. The two bond outside the ice cream store, and Heidi follows Adrian home. Adrian reads well when touching her. Those with a low threshold for blurred reality/fantasy boundaries or deus ex machina solutions may be frustrated; others, including, perhaps, those who've benefited from "Reading with Rover"-type programs, will be all in. In the third section, child and dog encounter Heidi's rightful owner, a woman with a cane. At her dwelling, she explains that she is nearly blind; seeing her performing on the trapeze in a scrapbook photograph, Adrian says "I can read to you." Repeated perusals yield further clues to the child's love of the circus and yearning for a pet. Some characters of color can be spotted in the background, but the primary characters are all white.The minimal text and particular plot twists will garner appreciation from struggling readers; endearing characters and a fresh design will attract many more. (Graphic fiction. 6-8) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.