Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews

Based on a short film by Bliss' son, Alexander, this nearly wordless graphic novel follows a seemingly quiet second-grader through an eventful 24 hours. The narrative opens in Grace's diverse classroom, where her teacher, a black man, reminds students about contributing to the "Buddy Fund" to purchase a companion for Gus, the guinea pig. The light-skinned protagonist sports a black pageboy and wears round glasses; they are opaque except when she greets Gus, at which point a double-page-spread close-up shows the affectionate creature reflected in her lenses. After dinner with her two dads (both pale-skinned), Grace grabs her violin case and sneaks out her bedroom window, the Manhattan skyline visible in the distance. The multitalented heroine busks for tips in the subway station, draws caricatures on Fifth Avenue, and performs pole gymnastics on the train home. Children and adults will enjoy perusing the sequential panels, designed in various sizes to control the pace. There is plenty to discover and chuckle over, from cartoon and literary characters (Charlie Brown, Nancy, Tintin) and cultural icons (Vincent van Gogh, Alfred Hitchcock, Donald Trump, Patti Smith) to physical comedy, humorous book titles, and clever signs ("Rump Tower"). Dramatic diagonals, beautiful contrasts in lighting, and a joyful vibrancy pervade the scenes drawn in ink by Bliss and digitally colored by Young. There is much rejoicing at the overflowing classroom coffers—and the goal for Gus is realized.A heartwarming call and response. (Graphic fiction. 5-adult)

ALA Booklist (Fri Dec 01 00:00:00 CST 2017)

When her teacher reminds the class that they're raising money to get a friend for Gus (the class pet guinea pig), quiet, bespectacled Grace starts formulating a plan. First, she'll go home as usual, do her homework, have dinner with her dads, brush her teeth, and get ready for bed. But then, with her violin and some other tools in tow, she climbs out her bedroom window into the streets of Manhattan, where she busks in a subway, draws caricatures in the park, and performs acrobatics in a subway car to collect money for Gus' new friend. Bliss' graphic novel like picture book is mostly wordless, with the bulk of the story following Grace on her fund-raising escapades. The intensely detailed scenes are full of clever storytelling, and he fills the crowds with iconic New Yorkers (Spike Lee, Andy Warhol) and cartoonists (Edward Gorey, Shel Silverstein) and cartoon characters (Nancy, Tintin). Though some adults might balk at Grace's unaccompanied nighttime journey, kids will likely recognize the elementary-schooler's heartwarming, tenacious devotion to her class pet.

Horn Book (Wed Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2018)

In Bliss's nearly wordless book, told mainly through panel illustrations, ordinary-looking Grace sneaks out of her dads' apartment at night to creatively raise money to buy a companion for class guinea pig Gus. Deadpan Grace remains hilariously impassive, her little Mona Lisa-esque smile the only hint of her extraordinary measures. Cameo appearances and visual jokes fly fast and furious throughout Bliss's giddily gleeful tale.

Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

Based on a short film by Bliss' son, Alexander, this nearly wordless graphic novel follows a seemingly quiet second-grader through an eventful 24 hours. The narrative opens in Grace's diverse classroom, where her teacher, a black man, reminds students about contributing to the "Buddy Fund" to purchase a companion for Gus, the guinea pig. The light-skinned protagonist sports a black pageboy and wears round glasses; they are opaque except when she greets Gus, at which point a double-page-spread close-up shows the affectionate creature reflected in her lenses. After dinner with her two dads (both pale-skinned), Grace grabs her violin case and sneaks out her bedroom window, the Manhattan skyline visible in the distance. The multitalented heroine busks for tips in the subway station, draws caricatures on Fifth Avenue, and performs pole gymnastics on the train home. Children and adults will enjoy perusing the sequential panels, designed in various sizes to control the pace. There is plenty to discover and chuckle over, from cartoon and literary characters (Charlie Brown, Nancy, Tintin) and cultural icons (Vincent van Gogh, Alfred Hitchcock, Donald Trump, Patti Smith) to physical comedy, humorous book titles, and clever signs ("Rump Tower"). Dramatic diagonals, beautiful contrasts in lighting, and a joyful vibrancy pervade the scenes drawn in ink by Bliss and digitally colored by Young. There is much rejoicing at the overflowing classroom coffers—and the goal for Gus is realized.A heartwarming call and response. (Graphic fiction. 5-adult)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Grace has dark hair and bangs, and her glasses reflect the light-she looks quite a bit like Marcie from Peanuts, which is far from the only comics reference that Bliss (Bailey) sneaks into this mostly wordless love letter to New York City, classic cartoons, and entrepreneurial ingenuity. Grace-s Manhattan classroom has a hamster named Gus, and her teacher reminds the class to contribute to Gus-s -buddy fund.- Grace hurries home, eats dinner with her two fathers, kisses them goodnight, and promptly sneaks out into the nighttime city. She-s a busker, and a

School Library Journal (Fri Dec 01 00:00:00 CST 2017)

K-Gr 3 Grace and her fellow students are raising money to buy Gus, the class guinea pig, a friend. But the "Gus Buddy Fund" is woefully low, so Grace decides to do her part. After dinner with her fathers, she waves goodbye to her cat and climbs out her window. First, Grace takes out her violin and busks at the West 4th Street subway station. Next, it's on to Fifth Avenue, where she turns caricature artist outside Central Park, and finally back into the subway, with a crowd-pleasing break dancing performance. Bliss's latest oozes with references to Manhattan, classic comic strips, and pop culture (Bernie Madoff, Alfred Hitchcock, Muddy Waters), most of which will go over children's heads but will delight adults. Cameos abound, too. Andy Warhol saunters by Grace's school, Woody Allen and Donald Trump cheer her subway show, and Tintin gazes after her as she leaves the train. And Grace, with her round glasses and short dark bob, is a dead ringer for Marcie (of Peanuts). Still, there's plenty here to pique young readers' interest. Beautifully paced and bursting with sight gags, Bliss's nearly wordless tale is a superb example of visual storytelling. Opaque colors and thick black outlines evoke the simplicity of a comic strip landscape, but the many background details emphasize the richness of Grace's city and will encourage readers to see their own worlds in a new light. VERDICT A joyful romp that will entice budding graphic novel fans and grown-ups alike. Mahnaz Dar, School Library Journal