Kirkus Review

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) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.