I'm Ogre It is a hilarious and inspiring comic book ode to creative fun without screens, just right for young readers who might need the tiniest boost to become bookworms.
Izzie's big brother Ollie is really, really into video games, specifically Smash Tower, which features monsters, robots and evil fairies with a Stinking Swamp to navigate and a Tipping Tower to climb. He's so into it that he's gotten rid of most of his beloved old toys, much to Izzie's dismay. "That is baby stuff. I am over it," he tells his sister, a brown-skinned girl with gravity-defying blue-black pigtails, and her new friend Tim, a sweet green ogre who has just moved into the cave next door. Enterprising Izzie and Tim begin emptying Ollie's room of his remaining possessions, while Ollie natters on about his game. When he finally looks up to an empty room and goes searching for his sister, he discovers a real-life obstacle course, made up, on closer look, of all his discarded toys and furniture.
While no kid likes to be nagged about putting down the devices, any kid is likely to adore the wild and inventive IRL version of Ollie's video game--message subtly received. Simple language and delightful, brightly colored artwork make this I Like to Read Comic particularly appealing to emergent readers. Jeffrey Ebbeler, prolific illustrator and author of other titles in the series (Kraken Me Up and A Giant Mess), has created a winner, no tech needed! --Emilie Coulter, freelance writer and editor