Brought to you by OBS reviewer Andra

Animal Crackers by Scott Christian Sava and illustrated by Alison Acton is a fun read.

Owen, Zoe and their uncle Doug go to the circus. Owen, being 10-years old, wants to get under the big top to watch the show. Meanwhile, Zoe being 6-years old is stopping at each cage to talk to every animal. Owen gets a bit frustrated at the delays but has little choice but to wait. Zoe’s speaking to the animals catches the interest of the evil ringmaster, who decides that he must have Zoe in his show as she appears to have a great skill in communicating with the animals. What ensues is a kidnapping, a hilarious rescue attempt or two (as a result of some magical animal crackers and Owen).

I found the graphics were really good. The story was cute with a bit of action (and magic) for both Owen and Zoe. And some personal growth for Uncle Doug as well! The gypsy character added just that touch I felt was needed to really believe the reader was at the circus.

I think this tale will be a hit with the younger crowd, especially kids with a fondness for animals and/or circus clowns.

*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review*

A cute little story. There isn't a lot of depth or complication. Just a simple, linear plot. This means that it will be a solid choice for young readers but will do nothing for those just a little older. The art is very stylized and cartoony, the color palette emphasizing vibrant and primary colors, reinforcing that very young feel.

"Animal crackers in my soup, monkeys and rabbits loop the loop..." Oops sorry, I just can't help it because whenever I see the book Animal Crackers by Scott Christian Sava, I first have that song go through my head before I open it to read. This book however is not animal crackers in soup but about a circus, Uncle Doug (who is scared of clowns), Zoe (Who thinks she can talk to animals, and perhaps she can...) and Owen (who is a whole 10 years old), Esmerelda (the protector) and an angry little man (aka as the ringmaster).

When I initially flicked through the book I was a little startled as the characters looked alarmingly scared or angry, especially uncle Doug. However it was when I started reading the book that I realised why, there is mayhem, magic, tricky stunts, biscuits that aren't all they seem and chaos like you cannot imagine. How does it end? Do the good people manage to save the day? Right now I cannot tell you that you will have to read it for yourself.

If we are counting (and I am), this is my second graphic novel I have read but this time it is suited to the 7-11 year olds. Although I suspect, like any good book for children it doesn't really matter what age you are as long as you enjoy it. This one has now been made into a film so keep an eye out for that too.

Students love graphic novels. This is a great one for reluctant readers. Illustrations are great as well.

The cover for this children's graphic novel appealed to me straight away, yet my excitement didn't reach far beyond that. The cartoon style illustrations were cute enough; the story was lacking. Even for a book written with young children in mind there should be more plot than this one had going for it. I found the story tedious and kind of stupid. I will say, the magical animal crackers idea was cute, but it could have been done a lot better.

I'm sorry, I simply can't give this book a higher rating because as a parent I don't think it would have engaged my children when they were at the "geared towards" age. There's nothing really entertaining or educational about the story or the characters. The best thing this book has going for it is the pictures.

Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the review opportunity.