Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Oblong-shaped best friends Cabin Head and Tree Head--whose respective noggins sport a picturesque abode and a tree hung with a tire swing--star in this goofy early reader graphic novel series starter by Campbell (Skulls!). In the first of six stories, Tree Head announces to Cabin Head, "I feel a case of the HELLOS coming on." A full-page illustration--rendered in earth-toned watercolors on sepia paper--depicts Tree Head's mad dash through the neighborhood greeting myriad residents ("Hello, Fountain Head!"). Though Tree Head inadvertently leaves their BFF in the dust, once the titular tag team reunites, they encounter Construction Heads ("I don't think they heard us. It is too loud over there") and TV Heads ("too engrossed in their programs"), until a final address ("Hello, tacos") sees the pair sharing a meal on a grassy knoll. The conflict is low, and the spirits are high between the easygoing duo, whose subsequent adventures feature treasure hunting, a bad hair day, and an epic game of hide-and-seek. It's a congenial snapshot of best buds who are eager to bask in life's everyday joys--and, as the introductory tale suggests, happy to invite a new friend along. Ages 6--9. Agent: Steve Malk, Writers House. (Sept.)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 3--Cabin Head and Tree Head are the best of friends, living in a whimsical world where everyday objects sprout personalities and communities. Readers meet a delightful cast of characters, from Pool Head to Telephone Pole Head, who are all friends of Cabin Head and Tree Head. Tiny humans enjoy life atop many of the heads, and the society is harmonious and peaceful. Tree Head and Cabin Head enjoy adventures, games, and quality time together. The text explores themes like friendship, helping others, and appreciating life's simple joys like tacos and art. Campbell knocks it out of the park with the introduction of Cabin Head and Tree Head to the literary world. This graphic novel is full of wit, humor, and heart. Telling the tale across seven chapters, Campbell reinforces the theme of helping a friend in need with different clever scenarios. The straight-up silly scenes coupled with the soft, muted earth tones offer an overwhelmingly pleasant reading experience. Perfect for fans of Beth Ferry's "Stick and Stone" series, this title is sure to be a hit with younger readers and fly off the shelves. VERDICT A heartwarming, hilarious gem that young readers will return to again and again. A must-have for any collection serving young readers.--Angie Jameson
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
The sweet and strange intersect in these comics about two pals with a lot on their minds. The premise is simple: In this world, everyone sports something on their head. Our protagonists are best friends Cabin Head and Tree Head (vaguely humanoid creatures with little people inhabiting the worlds atop their noggins). Six main stories (with three bonus tales) take this concept and run higgledy-piggledy with it. Readers are treated to tales of terrible "leafcuts" (Garden Head attempts to give Tree Head a new 'do, with hilarious results), treasure hunts with self-made maps, and even a wildly out-of-this-world adventure that reveals that the Earth itself is on someone's head. Kids will revel in locating and naming all the different "heads" in Campbell's beautiful watercolor-rendered scenes, even as they chuckle over his delightfully absurd dialogue ("I feel a case of the HELLOS coming on." "Uh-oh. The HELLOS are nothing to be trifled with"). The primary lures are the humor, the nutty concept, and the detailed depictions of a cheerfully surreal world where everything from clouds to mountain is gently anthropomorphized, but the heartfelt friendship between the two heroes is what will have children and parents coming back again and again. A wildly original tale with the buddy-based charm of Frog and Toad but imbued with a wacky energy all its own.(Graphic fiction. 6-10) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
