Fitz and Cleo

by Jonathan Stutzman, Heather Fox (Illustrator)

Overview

The dynamo team behind Llama Destroys the World invites you to meet the stars of their first graphic novel—Fitz and Cleo! If you’re a fan of Narwhal and Jelly or Owly, get ready to fall head over heels for this brother-and-sister duo.


Fitz and Cleo are siblings by chance, but best friends by choice. Oh, and they also happen to be ghosts!

Join Cleo, a happy-go-lucky kind of gal, and Fitz, her science-minded brother, as they laugh their way through eleven gut-busting stories, including exploring the beach with a new friend, enjoying some ice cream, playing baseball, and gazing at the stars.

Jonathan Stutzman and Heather Fox, the creative team responsible for your favorite doomsday-prone Llama, team up again for a silly and heartwarming graphic novel that is perfect for newly independent readers and comics enthusiasts. The book highlights just how wonderful the world can be when you mix a little fun with some great friends.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250832641
Publisher:	Square Fish
Publication date:	03/08/2022
Series:	A Fitz and Cleo Book , #1
Pages:	72
Sales rank:	1,094,613
Product dimensions:	6.33(w) x 8.44(h) x 0.27(d)
Age Range:	6 - 9 Years

About the Author

Jonathan Stutzman is the author of numerous books for children, including Llama Destroys the World, Don't Feed the Coos, Llama Unleashes the Alpacalypse, and Santa Baby (all illustrated by Heather Fox), as well as the Tiny T-Rex series. He received his masters at Temple University for film and digital media. He lives in Lititz, Pennsylvania, with his wife, Heather Fox.

Heather Fox is an illustrator and graphic designer, creating art in pen and ink, digital, and gouache. She is the illustrator of Llama Destroys the World, Don't Feed the Coos, Llama Unleashes the Alpacalypse, and Santa Baby (all written by Jonathan Stutzman). She lives in Lititz, Pennsylvania, with her husband, Jonathan Stutzman.

Editorial Reviews

03/15/2021

Married creative team Stutzman and Fox (Llama Destroys the World) expand into early readers with this bighearted graphic novel, a collection about the exploits of two ghost siblings. In 11 short chapters, best buds Fitz and Cleo bravely explore the strange noises coming from behind the attic door, face off in a brain-freeze-inducing ice cream contest, stargaze, and generally have each other’s backs. Enacting believable sibling dynamics, the duo prove clear opposites, as represented by their interactions with kitty Mister Boo, whom they try to teach the rules of baseball play. Cutesy Cleo, a purple bow atop her head, expresses herself effusively, visually exuding pink hearts upon meeting the gray kitty; know-it-all Fitz, meanwhile, sporting a baseball cap and spectacles, tries to strap the feline to a rocket in the name of “science.” Uncluttered digital line drawings by Fox focus all the attention on Fitz and Cleo, whose simple facial features speak volumes. Dialogue-driven, with plenty of wordplay courtesy of Stutzman, this spirited series debut abounds with heart. Ages 6–9. (May)

Publishers Weekly

"Dialogue-driven, with plenty of wordplay courtesy of Stutzman, this spirited series debut abounds with heart." —Publishers Weekly

"This new duo will float off shelves, and fans of Ben ­Clanton’s Narwhal and Jelly, Mo Willems’s Elephant and Piggie, Bob Shea’s Ballet Cat, and Salina Yoon’s Duck, Duck, Porcupine will be delighted." —School Library Journal

"Bubbly art, bold colors, and breezy paneling keep the tone playful, and fans of Clanton’s Narwhal and Jelly or Willems’ Elephant and Piggie will be happy to find another pair of pals to hang out with as they build their literacy skills." —The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

Praise for the Llama series!

A Kids' Indie Next List Top 10 Pick
NAIBA 2019 Picture Book of the Year

"Silly fun." —People Magazine

"[W]ill have everyone laughing out loud." —Romper

"[A] super silly, amazingly original, best-when-read-aloud picture book." —BookPage

"Epic." —Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

From the Publisher

06/01/2021

K-Gr 3—Ghosts Fitz and Cleo aren't just brother and sister; they're best friends, too. When they're startled by a mysterious "THUMP!" from the attic, they discover a cat, whom Cleo dubs "Mr. Boo." The siblings discuss the best and worst things about cats: They're cute! They're cuddly! They like to sleep on top of Fitz's head! Fitz and Cleo then visit the beach, eat ice cream, and fly paper airplanes, all while bonding—and building readers' hopes for future sequels. Most pages feature delineated panels with clear narrative flow from one to the next. The adorable chibi character art is engaging. Stutzman and Fox's pivot from picture books to graphic novels is a perfect expansion of their growing body of collaborative work. Though the characterizations play into gender stereotypes (Fitz is smart and nerdy and wears a baseball cap; Cleo wears a bow and squeals over how adorable Mr. Boo is), the story doesn't suffer for it and should prove very popular. VERDICT This new duo will float off shelves, and fans of Ben Clanton's "Narwhal and Jelly," Mo Willems's "Elephant and Piggie," Bob Shea's "Ballet Cat," and Salina Yoon's "Duck, Duck, Porcupine" will be delighted.—Abby Bussen, Muskego P.L., WI

School Library Journal

2021-03-17
Ghost siblings ghoul it up in a new graphic-novel series.

A “THUMP” from the attic sends siblings Fitz and Cleo up to investigate. The spooky vibes delight Cleo, so she improvises “The Spooky Attic Song.” Fitz tries to shush his sister so they can maintain “the element of surprise” as they approach the sound’s source. The mystery is solved: It’s a cat! Cleo promptly scoops the (seemingly mortal) cat up and names him Mister Boo. Fitz has reservations but relents when Mister Boo sits on his head. Ten subsequent chapters, varying between four and seven pages in length, chronicle the trio’s further shenanigans. Husband-and-wife team Stutzman and Fox create an entertaining early graphic novel in the vein of Ben Clanton’s Narwhal and Jelly series. Though there are occasional speech bubbles, dialogue is most often connected to the speaker by a solid black line. Sentences are short, and there are at most two speakers per panel. Additionally, with no more than six panels per page and simple backgrounds, the story provides adequate support to emerging readers. Fox’s expressive illustrations and clever use of panel layouts effectively build off the humor in Stutzman’s text. Cleo is depicted with a purple bow; Fitz with a baseball cap and glasses. Unfortunately, their personalities as well as their appearances play into gender stereotypes.

Cute as a boo-ton—if a tad stereotypical. (Graphic fantasy. 6-10)

Kirkus Reviews