Geoffrey Hayes's (the Benny and Penny books; Patrick in A Teddy Bear's Picnic) charming picture books make a smooth transition to a single-volume graphic novel collection for beginning readers. From mealtime to chores, from bathtime to bedtime, Hayes's quartet of tales captures the young cub's boundless energy and personality.
"Hi, Ma. What's cooking?" affable Patrick asks in a speech balloon as he enters the kitchen in the first selection. Mom stands at the stove, stirring peas. Teddy calls them "balls of mushy poison" and will eat them only after mixing in "ketchup, jelly, stir, stir, stir." Youngsters will quickly detect that Patrick is more of a hindrance than a help in "Patrick Helps Out." He jumps in a pile of Daddy's freshly raked leaves, pulls up flowers rather than weeds, and turns on the hose before Daddy says "ready." But his father knows just what to do. Children will see themselves in Patrick, who resists bathtime, then begs to stay in longer in order to put off bedtime. Both Patrick's mother and father are very involved in Patrick's routines. Ma gives the cub a bath; Daddy tucks him into bed. Each tale ends with a slight twist, and Hayes varies the look of the pages with larger and smaller panels and insets, and a few scenes outside of the panel boxes.
Here's hoping for many more adventures starring Patrick and his loving family. --Jennifer M. Brown, children's editor, Shelf Awareness