This was such a cute little picture book. I’d highly recommend it since it’s so short and has very minimal writing. I flipped through this in probably 1 minute, but the artwork is fun and I liked the story with Frog. I definitely think children will be more engaged with this book than I was. It would make a fun bedtime story!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

Cute illustrations accompany a story about a kid afraid of the washing machine, but I just didn’t find it all that memorable. She makes a big mess interfering with the machine and it could be a safety concern if kids think they can tinker with washing machines. I would have liked some conversation that it is not a toy and she shouldn’t be playing in it. Kids and pets have died from being stuck in washing machines.

Thanks to Netgalley and Oni Press for the ARC of this!

This is such a cute, easy reader, graphic novel. With few words and cute pictures, it’s easy to tell what Mika is concerned about when she goes up against the washing machine (Gurgler).

The first book was adorable as heck, and so is this one! Mika is a character I wish was around when I was a kid. Very happy with this :)

Welcome Back!

Last week, I hit my first reading slump in a long while. I had really been enjoying my reads and felt super motivated to read but I listened to a story last week and I just ended up really not having a great time with it. So in order to get out of my slump I turned to some graphic novels! One of the first graphic novels I read to get out of my slump was Mika and the Gurgler!

SPOILERS AHEAD

Mika is a toddler, exploring the house with her stuffed animal friends in tow, that is until one of them gets locked into a machine. Mika can see the inside of the machine but, is not really sure how to free her friend. She tries a few things but has no luck. How can she save her stuffed animal?

This was a super cute and short graphic novel. I was unaware until I looked up the graphic novel on Goodreads that it is the second in a series. I really loved the colors and illustrations used and the way that the author and illustrator brought Mika and her friends to life. I also think they did an excellent job on keeping the story in the mind of Mika. This was a great read to help pull me out of my slump!

Goodreads Rating: 5 Stars

Me and my children enjoyed this story with all the characters within. It about Mika and what is finds in her house. She like exploring throughout her house find new things. Today she meets the gurgler.

This was a fun cute story. It had action and adventure throughout. It had a few laughs within. The illustrations were colorful and went an long with the story well.

I received a complimentary copy via Netgalley. This is my honest unbiased opinions.

‘Mika and the Gurgler’ byAgata Loth-Ignaciuk with illustrations by Berenika Kołomycka is a graphic novel for young readers about a curious toddler battling familiar household objects.

Mika is back and ready to face new challenges, but first she must brush her teeth and froth at the mouth. Today a gurgling monster that spits out suds has taken Mika’s stuffed frog. Mika watches helplessly as frog spins out of control inside the gurgler. But Mika isn’t as helpless as you might think, but Mika’s resourcefulness may lead to a big mess.

This is a fun series and Mika is an adorable creation. The plots are nice and the art is better than average.

This is a picture book in a graphic novel format. It's pretty light on words, and the illustrations depict Mika's mischief as she plays with the washing machine. She accidentally leaves one of her stuffed animals inside, and when she sees the machine running with that frog in it, she presses buttons and forces the door open. Water and suds flow out into the house, and she walks off happily, while her mom asks her, "What happened here?" and stares at the mess.

The humor is one-note, and I found the story more frustrating than funny, especially because of the safety concerns it can raise for children to play with household appliances. I like the concept of this series exploring different household items that kids find fascinating, but I don't appreciate the story's implication that Mika's behavior is okay. She doesn't get corrected for opening the washer mid-cycle, and there's no acknowledgment that she shouldn't have played with the washer or crawled inside the drum earlier, before the washer was running. The illustrations are really cute, but with so many wonderful picture books in the world that don't encourage problematic behaviors, I wouldn't recommend this one.

Absolutely delightful with fantastic illustrations, this book will enchant littles and teach them that seemingly scary things can be not scary at all and that sometimes you have to do what you need to do to rescue one you love. Absolutely adorable and one that littles will want to read [and look at] over and over again. Very well done.

Thank you to NetGalley, Agatha Loth-Ignaciuk, Berenika Kolomycka - Illustrator, and Oni Press for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Cute but like with Mika and the Howler, there's really nothing much else to it other than the adorable illustrations. It reads like a vignette and I prefer stories with more of a narrative. I enjoyed this more and am giving a higher rating than the first book though, as I liked the whole rescue thing and found it heartwarming.

Cute book with lovely illustrations. It was a bit younger than I expected, but I imagine picture book readers would enjoy this.

Thank you to the author, Oni Press and NetGalley, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This beautifully illustrated children's book gave me extremely mixed messages. Wonderful to see and encourage children's imaginations - in this case a household appliance that gurgles and swallows a beloved stuffed toy. Not great to see illustrations of a child crawling into a washing machine drum, forcing a washing machine open during the wash cycle (although I think most if not all cannot be opened if they have been switched on) and causing a flood. The children I read this with were not fans, there were lots of questions - and not in a good way - left in their minds.

Not sure if this is a picture book or graphic novel, but it’s super cute and fun for kids, especially those just learning to read. This book focuses more on the artwork to tell the story through body language and emotion shown in the illustrations. There is very little text, so it’s great for beginner readers. But the humor in it can be enjoyed by people of all ages. It’s so adorable and sweet.

I enjoyed watching Mika become curious about the world around her, and seeing how patient her mother was as she explored various new things in the house.

This book took me right back to when I was a little girl and was afraid of my mom washing my favorite stuffed animals. I never felt like I had to “save them” from being washed because I loved how soft and fluffy they felt afterward and how good they smelled, but this is definitely a relatable story. Highly recommend!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review. These are my own thoughts and opinions.

Mika attempts to save Frog from the scary "gurgler" (washing machine) in this adorable graphic novel. The art shows so much about the story without being over the top. You can really see from the characters' body language what is going on. There is very little text in this story so that makes it great for hesitant or beginning readers. I think the humor in this is also great for all ages. We have each probably experienced being distraught over a favorite stuffed animal or blanket being washed. Again, people of all ages would enjoy this one.

My second Mika book and another enjoyable read. Mika and the gurgler is full of adventure, Mika is inquisitive and explores the gurgler, Frog gets a little too close for comfort but Mika is there to save the day!

Love the illustrations, the cover and how bright and colourful the book is! Mika shows such innocence and it's really nice to see. Kids playing and using their imagination. Fun times to be had!

Will look out for more Mika adventures in the future!

Mika is a curious, adventurous little girl who's still learning about the world around her. Her mother, bless her, is incredibly patient. When Mika's frog gets stuck in the mysterious Gurgler (the washing machine) Mika is determined to save her friend.

Oh, how absolutely adorable! I originally requested this book because my older boys are getting into graphic novels, and while this book would be perfect for my Kindergartner I think my older boys would enjoy it as well! This was a quick, fun read - and a good opportunity to discuss washing machine safety with your kiddos. I will be checking out more Mika adventures to share with my kiddos!

This book gave me anxiety considering a frog was in the washing machine.

I read the first book as an ARC too. I do feel the books in this series has nothing much to say and I can understand as the focus is more on the illustrations and the attention level of the very young readers. This one focuses more on the art and the sounds that certain objects make. Well, that’s it.

Love the illustrations. It’s the best part.

Thank you, Oni Press, for the advance reading copy.

Super cute children’s story. It had big imagine and dreams coming from the child in the story. This reminds me of books I loved when I was a kid in elementary school. The art style was very cute as well. This is a good introduction to Mika and his friend’s and lends its self well to more stories and adventures they will go on.

I found this one after Mika and the Howler, and it is just as cute! Mika and the Gurgler is about yet another terrifying creature, better known as the washing machine. I thoroughly enjoyed this story myself, and will definitely be reading it with my niece and nephew. Frog has been caught in the washingmachine, and Mika's mom put in a load of laundry. Mika was of course scared for their friend, especially when the monster started gurgling (I see where the name came from!). In an effort to save frog, lots of buttons were pushed, which resulted in Mika eventually saving from.. and also letting all the soapie water out. But Frog was saved, and that's all that matters.