Fun graphic novel that I think a lot of kids will enjoy. Although it does touch on a few topics that may otherwise be hard to talk about, (weight, absent father, peer pressure) it is not too heavy and does a great job covering them.

Chunky is the story of an humorous Mexican-Jewish kid named Yehudi, who has health issues and is told by his doctors that he should lose weight. He is encouraged to try sports by his family & this book highlights the ups and downs of his adventures with sports, including his biggest fan an imaginary friend named Chunky. The main character tries to impress his father with his sports skills, but struggles and uses jokes to help get through. Eventually, both Yehudi and his family realize that none of the sports are quite the right fit and he finds an activity that really lets him shine. This book touches on a lot of subjects that kids & adults can relate to. A recommended first or second purchase.

A cute, body-positive book for younger readers! I wish I had this book when I was younger. I was completely charmed by this sweet book. It's relatable, funny, and a great read.

While I loved the illustrations/art style and thought the overall story was cute and funny, I was slightly disappointed with this middle grade memoir graphic novel.

Hudi is consistently fat shamed by his family, coaches, and classmates. Instead of anyone ever putting a foot down and saying "we shouldn't be fat shaming him, especially considering the fact that he only has one lung", the fat shaming continues as Hudi fails at one sport after another. And then, by the book's conclusion, it's never even directly addressed. I understand that this is a memoir so it means the fat shaming was probably never actually approached by Marcado's family and they never apologized for how they treated him. I hope this isn't the case but that would be my guess...While I think this is a fun graphic novel and speaks to the importance of being one self, I would want to make sure I'm careful to address the fat shaming issues with any student that checks it out.

This doesn't stand out for me as much as Mercado's Sci-Fu did, but kids will identify with Hudi and will wish for their own mascots too.

Chunky tells the story of young Hudi, a Mexican-Jewish boy who doesn't quite meet the stereotypical standards of a young boy that his father had expected for him. Struggling with weight and health, Hudi doesn't excel at sports like his athletic father. However, he does have a knack for making people laugh. I loved the style, the color, and the story in this book. I'd happily sell this to any middle grade reader and highly suggest it for class library.

children's graphic fiction (~3rd-6th grade, but any age would get a chuckle; semi-autobiographical fiction about a Mexican Jewish boy living in Houston TX)

All Hudi wants to do is make jokes and play with his imaginary friend/mascot Chunky (and maybe join the theater club at his middle school?), but his parents and doctors all keep telling him he needs to lose weight. Hilarity ensues as he tries his uncoordinated, accident-prone hand at baseball, soccer, swimming, tennis and football. Kids of all ages and abilities will enjoy his antics and humorous escapades, not to mention the colorful art and quick-reading pages, and it is easy to relate to being the kid who always feels like an outsider.

I was a chunky kid. I'm a chunky adult. I would love to have a hype monster with me all day to combat the negative voices I hear from outside and from within. I will be recommending this to anyone who loved Raina Telgemeier's Smile series. Fantastic read!

This graphic memoir is a positive story about finding yourself and appreciating your talents. It also covers body differences, chronic illness and socioeconomic issues, but in a humorous way. After a childhood illness, Hudi is struggling with his weight and his parents are struggling with his motivation. Author Mercado uses an imaginary friend to boost Hudi's self esteem and see him through a troubling time. This book will have great kid appeal.

This book was funny and sweet and I liked it. However, I wonder how overweight children will feel as they watch Yehudi pass everything off as a joke.

Quite a pleasant read. I like this idea of the family trying to make their kid fit a mold based on gender and culture. Trying to help him fit in but eventually just giving him space to be his genuine self. I like that his failure at sports comes from fitness, from coordination, from his inability to be serious and focused. I like, too, that when he does find a sport where he can excel it alters his personality. He takes on this other persona, driving away those who actually care about him. It is a plot that explores machismo and it's effects on culture. Visually and textually appealing.

This is a charming semi-autobiographical graphic novel about an overweight kid whose parents are trying to find a sport to help him get healthier - but Hudi is not an athlete, he's a comedian. With support from his imaginary mascot, Chunky, he makes the most of his athletic pursuits and finds his place along the way. Hudi is a genuinely amusing character and this is a fun book to read.

To be clear, this isn't a book about a kid being fat. Hudi has only one lung following a childhood illness, and I think it's clear from the way his parents are written than their attempts to get Hudi into sports comes from a place of wanting him to be as healthy as possible. We avoid the trope of the dad who can't relate to his kid at all because he's not into sports. There's also a diversity of representation here; the Mercados are a Jewish-Mexican family, Hudi's sister is preparing for a Bat Mitzvah, some Spanish and Hebrew are included in the text. The style - the inclusion of a sportscaster narrator-type, the postgame interviews at the ends of chapters - is a really fun touch.

Recommended for upper elementary and up. I'll be adding it to my classroom library.

'Chunky' with story and art by Yehudi Mercado is a graphic novel for younger readers about a kid with a weight problem and an imaginary friend named Chunky.

In a story inspired by the author's youth, we meet young Yehudi, overweight, but a sharp-witted kid. He's also prone to injury, so when his parents get him involved in sports, there is always the inevitable injury just waiting to happen. Yehudi tries out for baseball, soccer, swimming and football, but will he ever find his true passion?

I've read a few of this author's graphic novels and I'm a fan. The characters are fun wisecrackers (apparently like the author). The art is a great style and all the ones I've read seem well suited to younger readers.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from HarperCollins Children's Books and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.

Chunky is an absolutely delightful story of a fat tween struggling to find a sport to be good at, accepting himself and be healthy despite set backs that are out of his control.

Hudi is an overweight Mexican and Jewish kid who is struggling to lose weight, and his imaginary mascot Chunky cheers on his every move. We should all be so lucky to have an endearing hypeman in our lives.

The illustrations are almost comic book style, with bold colors and classic comic style speech balloons for emphasis. Hudi is a largely autobiographical character, adding authenticity to the story, making this is a great read for fans of Jerry Kraft and Reina Telgemeier, or for anyone who feels like they don't quite fit into the norm.

This is a good book for those that have dealt with the shame of being overweight and learning to cope with the issues that surround you every day.

Chunky is an entertaining, funny, and poignant graphic memoir about body image, sports, family, comedy and being Jewish. This book is highly imaginative and features a likable and relatable protagonist coming of age and learning to accept himself and pursue his passions, whether or not other people understand. Hand this one to fans of graphic novels like Telgemeier's Smile and Hale's Real Friends. I look forward to reading whatever this author does next.

This graphic novel is ADORABLE. As someone who struggles with their weight, its nice to see someone tell their own personal story from childhood in such a creative and relatable way.

I loved this book! What a great comfort this book would be to kids suffering from low self esteem! I think at some point in our lives we’ve all needed a Chunky! Besides all that he’s just so adorable! The fact that author has had his own struggles only endears this book to me even more! I will definitely be selling this book lots when it is in my store! Everyone should embrace their Chunky and find what works for them

Chunky is a graphic memoir from Yehudi Mercado that follows his childhood and struggles in a humorous way through using comic relief and an imaginary friend/mascot.

Hudi is always told that he needs to lose weight but his love for food and lack of one lung prevents him from being the fully active child he might be, although he does try. The book follows his struggles and clumsiness through all sorts of sports in an attempt to appease his parents. Chunky appears as his mascot and humorous imaginary sidekick helping him along the way and being motivational when Hudi needs it.

The graphic is adorable, enjoyable and relatable. it shows kids that they can flow their dreams and that sometimes you try everything to appease people and it just doesn't work the way you had hoped. I think that while Hudi's parents were trying help him be better and lose weight, they were not very understanding of him as a child - they forced him into sports event though he was clumsy and cause him injury and knowing that he had breathing issues. I know this was a memoir, but that didn't feel right. There were probably other ways for Hudi to work on losing weight while pursuing what he enjoyed like theater and comedy.

Either way it looks like he made it out on the right side - writing a book about his childhood experiencing in a way that is relatable to the youth of today and trying to befriend those kids through comedy.

This was such a great book. I think kids will identify with many parts of Yehudi's childhood and the struggles he has faced.

The illustrations are fantastic, the message and story are great. I highly recommend this book to everyone!