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Monti and Leo: A Newcomer in Pocketville

Part of Monti and Leo

Author Sylvie Kantorovitz
Illustrated by Sylvie Kantorovitz
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Hardcover
$16.99 US
Candlewick | Walker Books US
6.5"W x 9.3"H x 0.54"D   | 13 oz | 36 per carton
On sale May 07, 2024 | 80 Pages | 9781536222777
Age 7-9 years
Reading Level: Lexile GN510L
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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.
Sylvie Kantorovitz was born in Casablanca and grew up in France. She is the author-illustrator of many books, including the graphic memoir Sylvie. She lives in New York’s Hudson Valley with her partner, author-illustrator Barbara Lehman.
Sylvie Kantorovitz View titles by Sylvie Kantorovitz
  • SELECTION | 2024
    Junior Library Guild Selection
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additional book photo
additional book photo
additional book photo
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, and ideas are worth embracing in this community-minded tale.
—Kirkus Reviews

This beginning-reader comic is for children gaining confidence and fluency. . . . Kantorovitz presents a fresh angle on friendship. . . The digital illustrations mix bold lines and pastel colors to pleasing effect, and Kantorovitz varies the number of panels on each page to control the pace, building small moments of drama and breakthroughs and leading up to a talent show Monti and Leo stage to bring the town together. This cozy book feels both familiar and surprising, and it will likely be embraced by young comics fans.
—The Horn Book

Kantorovitz covers a lot of territory with her characters and message in a format that works well as a beginner graphic novel. A natural color palette of light greens, blues, browns, and peaches is reminiscent of Arnold Lobel’s companions, Frog and Toad, and matches well with the frequent unstructured frames that bleed onto the white background. . . . A story with a strong moral that represents a wide range of social and cultural talking points.
—School Library Journal

About

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.

Creators

Sylvie Kantorovitz was born in Casablanca and grew up in France. She is the author-illustrator of many books, including the graphic memoir Sylvie. She lives in New York’s Hudson Valley with her partner, author-illustrator Barbara Lehman.
Sylvie Kantorovitz View titles by Sylvie Kantorovitz

Awards

  • SELECTION | 2024
    Junior Library Guild Selection

Photos

additional book photo
additional book photo
additional book photo

Praise

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, and ideas are worth embracing in this community-minded tale.
—Kirkus Reviews

This beginning-reader comic is for children gaining confidence and fluency. . . . Kantorovitz presents a fresh angle on friendship. . . The digital illustrations mix bold lines and pastel colors to pleasing effect, and Kantorovitz varies the number of panels on each page to control the pace, building small moments of drama and breakthroughs and leading up to a talent show Monti and Leo stage to bring the town together. This cozy book feels both familiar and surprising, and it will likely be embraced by young comics fans.
—The Horn Book

Kantorovitz covers a lot of territory with her characters and message in a format that works well as a beginner graphic novel. A natural color palette of light greens, blues, browns, and peaches is reminiscent of Arnold Lobel’s companions, Frog and Toad, and matches well with the frequent unstructured frames that bleed onto the white background. . . . A story with a strong moral that represents a wide range of social and cultural talking points.
—School Library Journal

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