All Together Now! (Band Camp! #1)

Gr 1-3--Strike up a symphony of laughter with a new graphic novel series featuring a full orchestra of characters sure to delight young readers. Trey (a metal triangle), Zook (a kazoo), Kaylee (a guitar), and Cordelia (an accordion) are all bunkmates for a summer of band camp at Camp LaLa Lake. The quartet of instruments become fast friends as they start learning how to work as a team and prove to everyone else that those in the Junk Bunk are winners, too. The artwork and panels are bright, cheerful, and easy to follow for younger readers. Musicians will appreciate the attention to detail on the accurate renderings of a wide variety of musical instruments--with the exception of the addition of human facial characteristics and limbs, of course. The characters all have clearly identifiable personalities that come across clearly through dialogue and actions, with no shortage of music puns and jokes. VERDICT This series opener is sure to be a hit in library collections specialized for younger elementary readers where music is a high interest.--Lindsey Morrison