Baby Garfield: Year of Firsts

by Ben Clanton, Grace Ellis, Various

144 pages, Paperback

Expected publication November 3, 2026

About the author

Ben Clanton is the author/illustrator of the Narwhal and Jelly series as well as a number of other books as IT CAME IN THE MAIL, MO'S MUSTACHE, and TATER TALES. When Ben isn't doodling up stories (and often when he is) he likes to cook, explore outdoors, and play basketball. Ben lives in Seattle, WA with his wife and kids. Find out more about Ben at www.benclanton.com.

Reviews

[ฅ^•⩊•^ฅ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Baby Garfield: Year of Firsts is such a fun and charming read. What really stood out to me was the variety of artists, each one brings their own style, and somehow they all work perfectly. Every story feels a little different, but they’re all equally cute and funny in their own way.

This is definitely a book made with kids in mind, and it really shines there. It’s playful, easy to follow, and full of that classic Garfield humor, but with an extra dose of sweetness.

Many of us grew up with Garfield, so it’s really nice to see a version that introduces him to a new generation. It’s their turn to meet this adorable, food-obsessed little creature and honestly, it’s hard not to love him all over again.

[Theediscerning · Rating 4 out of 5]

Decent enough junior read concerning Garfield, where all eight stories are intended to be about the first something for the rotund feline. That's a tiny stretch for the first piece, which takes us back to a time when there was even less communication and understanding between Jon and Garfield, but it works when a debut hairball and the introduction of Odie come along to make more sense. The eight authors seem to get things to a more equal standard – the beach trip and the horror film night are less successful with the visuals than other entrants. But there's little wrong here, even if I was left with no impression that this would pull people into liking the mog. For fans and people tuned to his larks, this is probably four stars, though.

[Engel Dreizehn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Arc Copy...What can i say about kitten Garfield adventures? He is soooo cute and funny too to see the fat cat with attitude as a kitten with a growing appetite and attitude. Fun to see Jon younger and kiinnd of wide eyed too in context of his relationship with Garfield. How is one suppose to take care of a cat named Garfield indeed?