How to Catch an Elf

September 1, 2023

K-Gr 3-This graphic novel offers a new venue for the imaginative holiday story first portrayed in the picture book of the same name, also an entry in the "How To Catch" series. Pup and Dragon are fun-loving friends on a mission. The wise-cracking pair spot Santa and his elf munching on cookies in their kitchen, and follow them from house to house, encountering an angry cat, a stuck-in-sticky-tape situation, a cardboard maze, and a grocery store inexplicably befitted with a food cannon. The story's structure is loose to the point of puzzlement, but Pup and Dragon's energy speeds readers swiftly toward the fabulous finale of Santa hurtling skyward holding fast to a speeding pizza. Christmas is little more than window dressing for the duo's escapades-the gift-laden fir tree in every home looks nearly identical, the supermarket is strangely devoid of shelving. Pup and Dragon's rapport is visually underscored by broad facial expressions that reinforce their thoughts and feelings. Despite the story's weak spots, Pup and Dragon's lighthearted partnership is infectious and promises an encouraging structure for young graphic novel readers in this and future volumes. VERDICT A loosely Christmas-themed caper with amicable animated heroes, unbound by logic or larger purpose.-Emilia Packard

Copyright 2023 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2023
In this graphic novel spinoff from Walstead and Andy Elkerton's wildly popular How To Catch picture-book series, a dog and a dragon set their sights on capturing an elf. On Christmas Eve, Yuletide-loving Pup gives Dragon, who is not the least bit familiar with Christmas, a rundown on Santa Claus. "The kids"--presumably from Walstead and Elkerton's previous books--have set elf traps in the neighboring houses, and Pup and Dragon decide to help them. They spot Santa and an elf, both light-skinned, sitting down to milk and cookies in one house, then chase them into neighboring homes. Each excursion sees the pair navigating traps, though Santa and the elf always get away. In the end, the time Pup and Dragon spend together strengthens their friendship and teaches Dragon some things about Christmas. Readers are as likely to be on board with the elf-hunting premise as they are to be confused at how many times Pup and Dragon are unfazed at seeing Santa Claus in person (shouldn't Pup in particular be thrilled to encounter him?). Dragon's sarcastic sense of humor and fourth-wall breaks feel at odds with the holiday setting. Then again, a grocery store scene involving a giant food cannon and an eggnog slide could be signs of a madcap randomness that isn't meant to be scrutinized. The artwork is at its most expressive in the few times when the duo's dialogue isn't filling the page. A buddy-comedy Christmas pursuit full of hijinks that trips over an uneven tone. (how to draw Pup and Dragon) (Graphic fiction. 6-9)

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