Monti and Leo: A Newcomer in Pocketville

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