School Library Journal (Fri Jun 01 00:00:00 CDT 2018)

Gr 2-5 Four campers and their guide set off on a backpacking adventure. Jay hopes that he will see a Sasquatch, but fellow campers Robin, Wren, and Martin tease him for believing in the mythical beast. It turns out that Sass (as the creature is known to her forest friends) is a fan of granola bars and people-watching. Her parents, a pair of brown bears, warn her to stay away from humans, but she can't resistdousing their unattended campfire, swimming underwater to tug on their fishing lines, and, crucially, coming to Jay's aid when he falls into a fast-moving river. Her curiosity leads her to take several selfies with Jay's digital camera (he doesn't have a smartphone), and Jay is faced with a choice: share the pictures and prove that he was right, or delete the evidence and protect Sass's privacy and habitat. Sass has a round, friendly face, is covered in shaggy orange brown fur, and wears a crown of flowers and leaves. The campers have a range of skin tones and hair textures, and the straightforward illustrations clearly depict their actions and emotions. However, the art is flat in many panels, and though this upbeat story ends on a satisfying note for both Jay and Sass, it lacks tension and development. VERDICT An additional purchase for large graphic novel collections. Jennifer Costa, Cambridge Public Library, MA

ALA Booklist (Sun Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2018)

A group of campers is spending a couple nights in the forest, and Jay is determined to see a sasquatch in person. His fellow campers make fun of him, and his troop leader assures him sasquatches aren't real, but he's undaunted. And good thing, too, because Sass, an irrepressible tween Sasquatch, is lurking around the camp, taking their snacks, and gently pranking the campers. Jay's friends are humorously puzzled by Sass' pranks, and while they're never convinced that Jay's right, he gradually comes to realize that he doesn't need to prove anything to anyone. The episodic story unfolds over several chapters of comical, straightforward panels of action. The bold colors and expressive characters, including Sass' cadre of animal friends and her parents (a pair of worrywart brown bears), clearly telegraph the charming emotional turns. Torres and Grand have a great grasp of comedic timing, which is helped along by her fine-lined cartoon figures and visual pacing. With bite-size chapters and an entertaining plot, this is tailor-made for kids just starting to get comfortable with graphic novels.

Horn Book (Mon Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2019)

In this chapter-book graphic novel, Jay hopes to find Bigfoot on the Junior Ranger campout, even though his troopmates tease him for believing. Meanwhile, Sass, a female Sasquatch adopted by bears who forbid her to go near humans, anonymously pranks (somewhat dim-witted) Jay until a brief but meaningful encounter. The humor is amusing, and the visual storytelling is accessible to young readers.

Kirkus Reviews

Young ranger Jay uses his camping trip to capture evidence of the Sasquatch while unknowingly being occasionally pranked by one himself."Sound off!" Jay, a little Asian boy, is so engrossed in his quest to find the elusive Sasquatch that he is oblivious to the prompts from Ranger Dove (a young woman of color). Each member of his diverse troop questions his search tactics, which he eagerly answers only to be rebuked. Unbeknownst to all, Jay's "lures" successfully intrigue a flower- and occasionally grass-skirt-wearing sasquatch named Sass and her posse of savvy woodland friends. In episodes characterized by quirky and physical humor, Sass messes with Jay and his troop: She leaves a "Sasquatch Footprint" (really a butt-print); she also puts out their campfire by spitting river water all over it. Things start to get real (well…Sass gets only a tad more serious) when she saves Jay from drowning and Jay wants to thank her. The story moves back and forth between the rangers and Sass and her friends, easily developing both sets of characters. Torres is a veteran of comic-book writing, and it shows, the text conveyed only in dialogue, sans narrator or footnotes. Grand's thin, pencil-lined illustrations and the linear layout of rectangular panels make the story easy to follow for younger readers.Hand this goofy bigfoot to young readers eager to get their starts in graphic novels. (Graphic fantasy. 6-9)