Chickenhare by Chris Grine

While this is a reprint of a book originally published in 2006, this edition of Chickenhare will find a new audience that will be delighted by the original creatures and dark humor.  Chickenhare and Abe, a bearded turtle, are recognizable recombinants while other creatures such as Meg, Banjo, and the Shromphs are new.   Though the obvious focus of a graphic novel is its pictures, there is more to Chickenhare; the dark humor makes the book a pleasure to read.  A Santa Claus look-alike named Klaus is a sadistic master and taxidermist determined to keep his unusual pets by killing and stuffing them.  The banter between Meg and Banjo is less than playful – they’ll end up killing each other or falling hard for each other.   A long-dead ghost goat tied to its frozen corpse plots its revenge on its former master.   The cute little Shromph have sharp, pointy teeth, and they aren’t afraid to use them.   You’ll find no blood, and violence is more implicit than explicit, but this is no bunny-and-buddies tale.  In other words, it’s the perfect pick for a middle-school audience.