#CBR12 Book 87: "King Baby" by Kate Beaton

Page count: 32 pages

Rating: 5 stars

See, some people might accuse me of desperation at this point, reviewing a 32-page children's book I've read to my son more times than I can consciously count, considering he's now nearly three, and my husband and I started reading it to him when he was only just a baby himself, long before he had any grasp of what the book was actually about or what the illustrations showed. 

Those people might not be entirely wrong. I have, however,  come to the conclusion that due to my fairly crippling anxiety and depression making it much more difficult to read this year, combined with a heavier than usual workload for parts of it (thanks Covid-19 for the added fun of having to do remote teaching for much of the year, giving me massively more to do without any extra compensation whatsoever) - plus the realisation this evening, as I was reading the book yet again, that it actually fits into one of the last reading challenges I've yet to successfully complete this year and consequently, I'd be an idiot not to review it and count it as one of my 104 books to help me (hopefully) complete my double Cannonball by the end of the year. I really don't want to think about what it's going to do to my self-esteem if I fail to complete this reading goal, the past two years have been pretty dismal for me, reading-wise, and I really need this win.

So if reviewing a sliver of a children's book brings me closer to this goal, then so be it. It's not like it's going to be a struggle for me to write at least 250 words about it - I've probably already covered those in my rather rambling introduction. For those of you who haven't got children of your own, or children to read to (with discerning parents who buy children's books written and illustrated by a former webcomic genius), you may be unaware of this little gem.

King Baby is the brief and sweet tale of a small infant's arrival into a new family, told from said baby's POV. The regally-minded child expects nothing more than is his due, praise, adulation, and adoration from his parents and other subjects. Eventually, King Baby grows older and is replaced by another tiny regent. 

I probably adore this book more than my son does, although he's very fond of Beaton's other illustrated children's book, The Princess and the Pony. I have gifted this book to numerous new parents, and it's one of those books that you can read countless times, without ever getting bored, because the illustrations offer up something new almost every time. Highly recommended. 

Judging a book by its cover: How can you not love this cover, with an adorable little egg-shaped bundle regally contemplating his existence? I love Kate Beaton's art, and this cover is no exception. While the regal baby is very simplistic, the throne he's sitting on is wonderfully intricate. 

Crossposted on Cannonball Read. 

#CBR7 Book 150: "The Princess and the Pony" by Kate Beaton

Page count: 40 pages
Rating: 4 stars

Princess Pinecone wants to be a warrior and get cool trophies or weapons, but instead she tends to get big fuzzy sweaters. For her birthday this year, what she wants the more than anything is a horse. A big, brave, strong horse. A warrior horse, fit for the warrior princess that she is. Her parents really do try, but instead, she gets a pony. A little round, yellow pony who likes to eat pretty much everything and fart a lot.

Princess Pinecone valiantly tries to train her pony and make it suitable for warfare. When the next big battle comes around, she's pretty sure they'll at least be able to make a decent effort. Pinecone and her pony wait patiently as the other warriors rage, but for quite a while they're completely unnoticed. Then everything changes and Princess Pinecone and the pony alter the course of the entire battle.

The fat little pony has been a recurring character in Kate Beaton's comics for years, showing up in both historical and more contemporary strips. I was delighted to discover that not only is the pony now co-star of its very own book, but that you can buy your very own Fat Pony Plush. It appears to be currently out of stock, but I am seriously considering buying myself one with some of the Christmas money I got.

This is a very sweet and funny children's book with Ms. Beaton's trademark illustrations in colour. It's not a very long book and probably aimed at quite young children. I can already think of several parents I want to gift this to, so they can read it to their kids. I actually think that it could have been a tiny bit longer and had a bit more substance and plot. You don't need to underestimate the patience of even a very young audience. Alas, it was not to be. I hope Ms. Beaton will instead write a whole series with the continuing adventures of Princess Pinecone and her fat little pony.

Crossposted on Cannonball Read.

#CBR7 Book 125: "Step Aside, Pops: A Hark! A Vagrant Collection" by Kate Beaton

Page count: 166 pages
Rating: 4 stars

When preparing to write this review, I got quite a surprise. I searched in the archives on my blog and on Goodreads to find my review of the first Hark! A Vagrant book and discovered that not only had I not reviewed it at any point, but I hadn't even entered it as read on Goodreads. I have absolutely no idea why, as I got the first book back in 2011 and was extremely happy that Kate Beaton was finally collecting some of her amazing comics in book form. As a bonus, the book included new strips, never before published on her website! The book was a clear five star read for me - I have no idea why I never got round to blogging about it. Back then I was more selective about what I reviewed for my Cannonball, but still - how could I not have spread the word about the genius that is Kate Beaton?

For those who don't know, Ms Beaton is a Canadian web comic creator with a background in history. She frequently takes history or literature as inspiration for her very funny comics, drawn in a simplistic style. One of her most popular creations, the little fat pony, is now the star of its own book and you can also get little plush versions of it (just in case anyone was wondering what I'd like for Christmas).

In her first book, highlights include Dude Watching with the Brontës:

Some lovely commentary on Jane Eyre:

 The always delightful 15th Century peasant comics:

And these great panels in a series about Bram Stoker's Dracula:

If you like any of these, you are likely to be a fan of Kate Beaton. The new book is much of the same, but some of the material didn't work as well for me. I still laughed a lot, but there were a few too many topics that didn't really feel as interesting to me. Which is still to say that it's a great collection of comics and I don't for a second regret getting the book in hardcover. I just wish there were more true classics, like this one: 

Check out her website, check out her books. She's clever and witty and deserves a large readership.

Crossposted on Cannonball Read.