Schnozzer & Tatertoes: Take a Hike!

by Rick Stromoski

Overview

A buddy adventure through the forest, starring two best-pal pooches! 

Two best-friend dogs, Schnozzer (the smart one) and Tatertoes (the cheerful one), set off into the forest on a journey to visit Tatertoes’s mom. Along their adventure, they encounter bees, bears, quicksand, characters from fairy tales, something called “nose spiders,” and lots of yo-yo action.

Their adventures are told as a series of vignettes, propelled by easygoing but giggle-inducing humor. That plus Rick Stromoski’s lush, illustrative style and charming character designs make for page-turning, chuckle-filled reading.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781454948322
Publisher:	Union Square Kids
Publication date:	06/27/2023
Series:	Schnozzer & Tatertoes
Pages:	144
Sales rank:	263,003
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 7.90(h) x 0.80(d)
Age Range:	7 - 10 Years

About the Author

Rick Stromoski is an experienced and respected cartoonist, known for his comic strip Soup to Nutz, which ran in newspapers from 2000 to 2018. He has also illustrated for advertising, children’s books, and greeting cards. Rick is an active member of the National Cartoonists Society and was president from 2005 to 2007. He lives in Connecticut. You can find him online at rickstromoski.com.

Editorial Reviews

Rick Stromoski’s lush, illustrative style and charming character designs make for page-turning, chuckle-filled reading.” —SLJ/Teen Librarian Toolbox

"[Stromoski’s] talent is evident in the brisk pacing, exaggerated cartoon illustrations, and many jokes; this entertaining story moves along quickly and never sags. Travel is made fun with two excellent new characters off on their first quest." —Kirkus

From the Publisher

2023-07-13
In this graphic-novel series opener, two dogs run into fairy-tale staples while seeking out a faraway town.

On a rainy day, Mr. Schnozzer and Tatertoes play Mother May I?—which prompts them to wonder why Tatertoes can’t remember anything about having a mother; a birth certificate leads them on a quest to a puppy farm in the town of Buzzard’s Breath. Kind but dimwitted Tatertoes tries to call a cab to take them there…on a calculator. The story leads the two agreeable pals on some silly paths, from the cottage where Little Red Riding Hood is about to meet a wolf in disguise to the house where Hansel and Gretel are about to be cooked. The mix of familiar fairy-tale stories and Schnozzer and Tatertoes’ own adventures is novel, but the two characters are funny and lovable enough to sustain a story without those detours. Tatertoes saves Schnozzer from quicksand using a yo-yo and amusingly mishears Schnozzer’s assurance that there are “no spiders” as “nose spiders,” resulting in Tatertoes’ spending the night with pine cones stuffed up his nostrils for protection. Stromoski is the creator of the long-running comic strip “Soup to Nutz,” and his talent is evident in the brisk pacing, exaggerated cartoon illustrations, and many jokes; this entertaining story moves along quickly and never sags. Human characters are generally light-skinned.

Travel is made fun with two excellent new characters off on their first quest. (Graphic fiction. 7-10)

Kirkus Reviews