Monti and Leo: A Newcomer in Pocketville [Hardcover]

A charming early reader in graphic form draws on the classic theme of friendship to show that being new—or different—doesn’t have to mean being lonely.

Pocketville is a small town, set in its ways, and the arrival of a stranger causes a stir. Monti the mole is stunned one morning to find Leo the lizard hogging his special reading rock. When Monti visits the bakery and the library, he learns that the last cinnamon roll has been purchased, and the book he was waiting for has been checked out. What’s a fastidious mole to do? When Monti confronts Leo, the newcomer turns out to be agreeable in the extreme, and friendship is a given. Now to convince the town’s cantankerous baker, Ms. Sheep, to stop turning everyone against Leo. Together, Monti and Leo hatch a plot that will have Ms. Sheep singing Leo’s praises in no time. This reassuring tale of friendship against the odds from the creator of the graphic memoir Sylvie draws on the author’s experiences as an immigrant and will appeal to anyone who has struggled to fit in in a new place.In this early reader graphic novel told in four quickly moving chapters, Kantorovitz (Sylvie) introduces Monti, a quiet, self-effacing mole who lives in the close-knit community of Pocketville. . . . Digital panel drawings portray Pocketville’s anthropomorphized animal inhabitants with simple lines and soft colors. Sweet and genuine, Kantorovitz’s story models community building.
—Publishers Weekly

Monti and Leo’s friendship radiates warmth throughout. It’s clear that kindness and hostility are choices, and this tale shows that the capacity for both exists in everyone. . . With their long snouts, Monti and Leo cut endearing figures in Kantorovitz’s rounded, spare cartoonish art. . . . New neighbors, attitudes, al“k