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Tree Mail
Rudy, a determined, optimistic frog, hopes to overcome the odds and land his dream job delivering mail to the other animals on Popomoko Island! Mike Raicht and Brian Smith ( SpongeBob Comics ), the team behind Finding Losing Dory and their own series The Stuff of Legend , deliver a full-color, all-ages romp that shows that the hopeful Rudy always hops forward, no matter what obstacle seems to be in the way of his dreams! And there are plenty of speed bumps, challenges, and detours on the way to becoming a full-time member in the island's Royal Air Delivery Corps!
120 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2016
2 people are currently reading
52 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
February 9, 2019
I was surprised by how delightful this all-ages story was. Rudy is an eternally optimistic tree frog who dreams of joining the Air Delivery Core. When he finally gets his chance, he winds up doing a better job than all the bird carriers. They are lazy and jealous of his diligence and dedication to a job they don't care about. The birds constantly scheme to get rid of Rudy while his boisterous positivity blinds him to their actions and he gleefully accepts each impossible assignment. This was fun and full of great life lessons for children with bright, colorful art.
Received a review copy from Dark Horse and Edelweiss. All thoughts are my own and in no way influenced by the aforementioned.
Received a review copy from Dark Horse and Edelweiss. All thoughts are my own and in no way influenced by the aforementioned.
June 2, 2017
This is a comic that is sure to put a smile on your face. From the art to the relentless positivity, this is a true pick me up kind of comic for all ages.
The story follows Rudy, a tree frog who has a dream of joining the ranks of the Air Delivery Corps. The ADC is a mail delivery organization that exclusively hires birds, hence the “Air.” Rudy faces adversity through hard work and enthusiasm for the job, despite the many sabotage attempts of the veteran ADC members.
All in all, this is an adorable story full of positive messages and bright, fun art. It’s geared more for younger kiddos, but I think it is great for any age. It has a great message about the value of hardwork and positivity in achieving your dreams.
The story follows Rudy, a tree frog who has a dream of joining the ranks of the Air Delivery Corps. The ADC is a mail delivery organization that exclusively hires birds, hence the “Air.” Rudy faces adversity through hard work and enthusiasm for the job, despite the many sabotage attempts of the veteran ADC members.
All in all, this is an adorable story full of positive messages and bright, fun art. It’s geared more for younger kiddos, but I think it is great for any age. It has a great message about the value of hardwork and positivity in achieving your dreams.
January 26, 2017
Whatever day you may be having, "Tree Mail" is guaranteed to make it even better. The art fits the story well and both exude fun and positivity. A good all-ages read. Buy two: keep one for yourself and give the other to your most valued human.
February 3, 2022
I wasn’t into this at first—depicting all the post office birds as lazy assholes was annoying—but “Tree Mail” became more enjoyable as more non-asshole characters were introduced. And the art was just delightful, especially the one- and two-page spreads depicting Rudy the frog in action.
November 26, 2016
The book begins by introducing you to Popomoko, our setting, but I would rather start with Rudy. Rudy is a tree frog but he isn’t interested in the normal frog things. Instead, he wants to join the Air Delivery Corps, but they are all birds. Rudy’s enthusiasm is infectious. Rudy is all of us, or at least definitely me, when we have our heart set on something. All of the things that he does to show his devotion to the ADC are adorable, but I promise not to spoil them for you because it is all in the details. Also in the details of the art, while the style is simple Rudy’s body language tells you a lot. The variety of island inhabitants is just plain fun and I particularly like Baz.
The whole tale is cute but there is part of it that inclines me to make a comparison to Pixar, because some of the things that made me laugh I’m not sure would really register on a child’s radar. The birds that Rudy admires so, are horrid at their jobs and you become increasingly aware of it. There are little slivers of some real adult groan moments, but Rudy stays Rudy. This one is short and sweet and I highly recommend the trip.
Personal thoughts: I’m back! Though a little rusty… I don’t think I could have picked a better book to return with. Rudy’s optimism is just what I needed, let’s do this!
Original Review on my Website
The whole tale is cute but there is part of it that inclines me to make a comparison to Pixar, because some of the things that made me laugh I’m not sure would really register on a child’s radar. The birds that Rudy admires so, are horrid at their jobs and you become increasingly aware of it. There are little slivers of some real adult groan moments, but Rudy stays Rudy. This one is short and sweet and I highly recommend the trip.
Personal thoughts: I’m back! Though a little rusty… I don’t think I could have picked a better book to return with. Rudy’s optimism is just what I needed, let’s do this!
Original Review on my Website
October 10, 2017
An unrelenting cheerful book bursting with confidence and determination. Rudy doesn't let his differences hold him back and (like Rudolph the red nose reindeer) while others mock him for being different he really ends up saving the day. What really makes a difference for him is that he stays positive, treats others with kindness, and doesn't let anyone tell him he can't. Colorful, quick read best for younger tweens who will appreciate the heroic tale. A bright, happy addition to any graphic novel collection
May 31, 2020
I loved this book so much! Rudy is so determined and such an optimistic tree frog. He reminds me of me, save for the fact that I wouldn't be able to deflect people's jeers so easily. His adventures were wonderful and fun and the illustrations were really nice. I want more Rudy! I need more of his adventures.
June 4, 2019
A joy - a lovely, upbeat, optimistic and giddy tale which sneaks in a nice chunky message for the younger audience without ever hammering it home. It also manages to be gorgeously illustrated, completely invoking the chaotic world of the island in question
December 2, 2021
It was alright. Cool and colorful illustrations, but the story was okay. It didn't really keep my attention, but I did read it til the end. I really liked Frog's enthusiasm and positivity though. The bat was really cute too.
February 12, 2017
A positive story about a frog who wanted to become a delivering bird.
September 11, 2017
Cute, funny, obnoxious-in-the-best-way. Great art, funny story. Recommended.
July 16, 2018
good kid thing. Not perfect, good art, wish it was in chapters.
October 21, 2018
Adorable and a bit snarky, I think this will be a hit with book club. It's super cute and encouraging how well following his dreams works out for Rudy, the unflappable very first ADC frog.
April 27, 2019
Great book with a positive message and amazing illustrations!
June 11, 2019
Genuinely sweet and hopeful and funny. The story lost me in the second act, but comes around again at the end.
December 19, 2019
Adorable. There's a real Bird and Squirrel vibe here.
November 16, 2021
Oh this was so cute and fun to read! A lovely feel good comic for all ages with colourful artwork and the right dose of humour.
April 16, 2024
Optimistic, funny, and adorable. I loved this one.
February 3, 2017
Here’s a quirky one. Rudy is a frog living on Popomoko Island. The frogs all join the Croaker Battalion, but Rudy has always been fascinated by the Air Delivery Corps, deliverers of envelopes and parcels to the island’s residents. The fact the Flight Corps are entirely made up of birds doesn’t factor at all in Rudy’s determination to become one of their number, and so begins an uplifting and optimistic tale of triumph over adversity as Rudy leaps from one challenge to another.
Scorned by the delivery birds, Rudy is given the harshest of errands and the coldest of shoulders, but he’s living the dream and he’s doing it by the book, so he barely notices the aggravation and thrives off of a job well done. Whether this is delivering shoes to a Bigfoot or taking on a dangerous delivery to a neighbouring island in the company of a flightless bat, it’s the thrill of doing what he believes in that carries him through, often utterly oblivious to the obstacles in his way.
There are some great full pages depicting Rudy’s movement through the scene, delivering a storyboard of dialogue and nuance in just one panel. You won’t be surprised to learn from the cartoon comedy that Brian Smith’s worked on SpongeBob Comics, such are the comedic beats and comic timing. So plenty of amazing daftness and buckets of cheerful optimism, and who can’t do without a bit of that right now. All in all, a wonderfully refreshing book.
Scorned by the delivery birds, Rudy is given the harshest of errands and the coldest of shoulders, but he’s living the dream and he’s doing it by the book, so he barely notices the aggravation and thrives off of a job well done. Whether this is delivering shoes to a Bigfoot or taking on a dangerous delivery to a neighbouring island in the company of a flightless bat, it’s the thrill of doing what he believes in that carries him through, often utterly oblivious to the obstacles in his way.
There are some great full pages depicting Rudy’s movement through the scene, delivering a storyboard of dialogue and nuance in just one panel. You won’t be surprised to learn from the cartoon comedy that Brian Smith’s worked on SpongeBob Comics, such are the comedic beats and comic timing. So plenty of amazing daftness and buckets of cheerful optimism, and who can’t do without a bit of that right now. All in all, a wonderfully refreshing book.
March 28, 2017
The story was good and I did like a lot of the art. What worked well for this graphic novel was presenting the idea of not letting others get in the way of your dreams. To put that in prospective, Rudy seems like a frog version of Leslie Knope, basically. No one can tell him "no."
April 29, 2017
This was a really great graphic novel! I love the message it gives the kids, and it's in a fun and friendly format.
Want to read
September 24, 2017Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book through Edelweiss.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews