Pawcasso! An Exclusive Excerpt of the New Graphic Novel by Remy Lai

Ooo! Such a treat I have for you today. I have been a fan of the work of Remy Lai since I encountered her Pie in the Sky two years ago, followed closely by 2020’s Fly on the Wall. Both books utilized that hybrid Wimpy Kid-esque model of integrating text and images together. They’re not quite full-on comics, but they’re not not comics either.

Now, Ms. Lai has embraced the comic form wholly. Her latest book, Pawcasso (out May 11th) is one for the dog-lovers out there. The publisher describes it this way:

Every Saturday, Pawcasso trots into town with a basket, a shopping list, and cash in paw to buy groceries for his family. One day, he passes eleven-year-old Jo, peering out the window of her house, bored and lonely. Astonished by the sight of an adorable basket-toting dog on his own, Jo follows Pawcasso, and when she’s seen alongside him by a group of kids from her school, they mistake her for Pawcasso’s owner.

Excited to make new friends, Jo reluctantly hides the truth and agrees to let “her” dog model for an art class the kids attend. What could go wrong? But what starts as a Chihuahua-sized lie quickly grows Great Dane-sized when animal control receives complaints about a dog roaming the streets off-leash. With Pawcasso’s freedom at stake, is Jo willing to spill the truth and risk her new friendships?

Curious? Well, step right up then! Here’s a short selection from the beginning of the book to whet your whistle, so to speak. Feel free to click on the images to enlarge them. Enjoy!

Intrigued? Gonna have to wait until May to finish this storyline up. In the meantime, many thanks to Kelsey Marrujo and the folks at Henry Holt & Co. for allowing me to show off these pages.

Filed under: Excerpts