Pickle on Wheels

K-Gr 2–Kantorovitz, from the “Monti and Leo” series, returns with a new offering starring a personable dog named Pickle, who lives on his own with a small bird companion. Pickle is a big fan of SuperDog, a roller-skating TV hero, and soon receives the gift of roller skates and a helmet from his grandmother so he can be just like SuperDog. However, skating proves harder than it looks and Pickle makes several rookie mistakes. After taking a header into a haystack, Pickle wants to give up. A friend named Coco skates by and convinces Pickle to come practice, admitting to many falls ­herself. She inspires Pickle to keep practicing while supporting him both physically and emotionally. Soon he has improved so much that he offers ­another friend, Felix, the same help Coco had given him. A soothing pastel palette plays well with this story of friendship, perseverance, family, and community. Clear dialogue balloons are easily read. The ­action flows naturally from event to event, with four or five large panels per page. Hand this to fans of Nancy ­Carlson’s series “­Harriet” or “Arnie.”