Hey, kids! Get ready to meet Catwad . . . even if he has no interest in meeting you. Benton's newest creation features a pessimistic cat and his feline friend Blurmp, who will do anything to make him smile. Each chapter is often only two to four pages long and revolves around the same premise urmp is stupid and overly optimistic, while Catwad is easily annoyed and pessimistic. In one scenario, Catwad gets a relaxation chair, only to have Blurmp mess with the controls and cause more harm than good. In another chapter, Blurmp takes Catwad outside to show him the many "unicorn fairies" he's found, only for Catwad to realize they are actually mosquitoes. The premise has certainly been done before, but the short vignettes will serve emerging readers well ch like Tedd Arnold's Noodleheads series or Ben Clanton's Narwhal: Unicorn of the Sea! (2016) an early-reader graphic novel, given their simple word choices and focus on humor rather than story. Benton's trademark art style additionally works well with the crude sense of humor that will certainly put a smile on kids' faces.

Catwad's a blue-gray cat. His best friend Blurmp's a sunny, orange-colored cat. Both have dispositions to match their pelts. Benton's collection of comic strips, some only a page of panels but others stretching to seven pages, offers humor in the odd-couple vein. Direct descendants of Ren and Stimpy, cantankerous Catwad and airheaded Blurmp trade quips back and forth, spouting nonsense, often with a child-pleasing disgusting edge. Each ministory has a title. In "Love," Blurmp announces an all-encompassing love for "everything." Catwad demands, "Well, what about hatred?" After a lengthy think, Blurmp affirms that "everything" includes hatred, trumping Catwad's incredulity with, "I love you. And hatred is your favorite thing." "Stop wrecking hate for me!" Catwad screams. In "The Cold," when Catwad tells an ailing Blurmp that the virus is inside him, Blurmp makes the (il)logical leap to pregnancy and names the supposed fetal virus Sniffleen, later framing her "baby pictures." "Are those all old Kleenexes?" Catwad asks. And so on. Farts, rat sweat, giant mosquitoes—it's all in there. The full-color comics show the two wildly expressive cats on plain or patterned backgrounds, Catwad with a perpetual frown and Blurmp with a vapid grin. It's sketch-comedy nonsense, but preteens will be onboard immediately and asking for the next volume at the close of this short collection. (Graphic fiction. 9-14)

This playful collection of graphic-format short stories follows the adventures of two dissimilar cats-grumpy and cynical Catwad and happy-go-lucky Blurmp-who also happen to be best friends. From mistaking mosquitos for fairy unicorns to naming a virus (-I think I-ll call her -Sniffleen---), Blurmp-s optimistic take on everything can be too much for Catwad. But whenever the grumpy Gus needs a reminder that the world is not as bad as he thinks, Blurmp is there to put a smile on his face-if only for a second. Throughout, humorous prose and bright illustrations by Benton (the Dear, Dumb Diary series) add to the amusement for each tale. While the Garfield-and-Odie-style humor may not be everyone-s cup of tea, younger readers in particular are sure to enjoy Catwad and Blurmp-s friendship. Ages 8-12. (Mar.)