Livi and Nate

by Kalle Hakkola, Mari Ahokoivu, Owen Witesman (Translator)

Overview

Livi and Nate are a sister and brother who live with their mom and grandpa in a house deep in the snowy hills. Every night after dinner, they have a bath, followed by story time, and then bed. But tonight, Livi can’t sleep—her vivid imagination takes over, turning little moments from everyday life into fantastical adventures. This book tells the story of one eventful night inside her imagined adventures: a giant snow bear comes to visit, Mom becomes a superheroine, and Livi grows wings and plays with butterflies.



Cartoon-style illustrations in warm colors bring the brightness of Livi’s fantastic dreams to life in this entry point to graphic novels. Speech bubbles, sequential art, and bold, energetic sound effects are paired with sweet and true depictions of a loving family life. This book celebrates a strong sibling relationship and is a charming tribute to the joys of imagination and dreaming.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781771473729
Publisher:	Owlkids Books
Publication date:	09/17/2019
Series:	Livi and Nate , #1
Pages:	72
Product dimensions:	7.75(w) x 9.75(h) x (d)
Age Range:	6 - 9 Years

About the Author

KALLE HAKKOLA is a Finnish author who has also worked as a librarian, including several years at the City Library of Helsinki. Kalle has also written articles on music, comics, and librarianship and lives in Finland.



MARI AHOKOIVU is a Finnish illustrator and a comics artist. She mainly draws graphic novels and comics for children and just finished her graphic novel Oksi. She loves everything cute and scary, and lives and works in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Editorial Reviews

"All children will find something to like in [this] simple story."

School Library Connection

08/09/2019

Gr 1–3-Siblings Livi and Nate live with their mother and grandfather in a cozy house in the countryside. After a winter's day of sledding, building snow creatures, and tussling, Livi and Nate come inside for hot chocolate, board games, a bath and, eventually, bed. They snuggle into their bunk beds, but Livi can't settle because she is certain that the snow animals outside have come to life. Her mother offers to go outside to check, and Livi falls asleep and dreams of a tea party with Nate and the snow animals. When she is startled awake by a growling noise, she wakes Nate. Armed with a tennis racket and a ukulele, they creep into the living room, only to discover that the noise was their mother making cocoa before leaving for her work shift as a firefighter. Mother tucks them back in, and the pattern is set for the rest of the story. Livi's dreams are interrupted by nighttime fears and real-world concerns that will be familiar to many readers. Hakkola's dialogue rings true. The characters are drawn with oversize heads in simple, black strokes. They have black dots for eyes and pink triangles for noses. Scene backgrounds vary in hue and offer a visual guide to the events: blues for the snowball fight, orange for the evening activities, and purple for bedtime. VERDICT A sweet and familiar story, with lively illustrations. Recommended for large elementary graphics collections.-Jennifer Costa, Cambridge Public Library, MA

School Library Journal

2019-06-30
Nighttime dreams ward off the pull of deep sleep in Hakkola and Ahokoivu's jubilant graphic novel.

Amid the thick snow, Livi and Nate play, sled, toss snowballs, and tease. Grandpa struggles to continue shoveling, so Mom calls everyone in from the cold. After a bit of tidying up, some hot cocoa, and a bath, it's time for bed. Noises from outside frighten Livi, who wakes up an annoyed Nate. Could it be the snow animals they made earlier? Mom reassures them that everything will be OK (cue Livi: "Make sure you check!"), and Livi falls asleep and dreams of a tea party. Oh no! A snow bear named Teddy interrupts the tea and cakes, asking for Livi and Nate's help! Using some quick wits and a very long scarf, Livi saves Daphne the dragon from incoming spring. The dream rolls happily along until a "BLING" wakes Livi up. What could it be this time? The ensuing narrative follows a similar pattern: sleep, dream, noise, and investigation. The Finnish creators' words convey a certain degree of playfulness that cements the bond between Livi and Nate above everything else. Similarly, their artwork—saturated with sheets of colors, arranged in spreads of sequential actions with occasionally dissonant frames—exemplifies the pale-skinned pair's nervy energy, even if readers may get lost among the hijinks at times.

Raucous fun at the sound of midnight. (Graphic novel. 6-9)

Kirkus Reviews

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