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One Trick Pony
In a future where alien beings consume technology as a few humans try to preserve it, Strata, her brother, and a friend are separated from their caravan and, with a wonderful robotic horse, must fight their way back.
128 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 14, 2017
127 people are currently reading
1396 people want to read
About the author
Nathan Hale
99 books836 followersNathan Hale is the New York Times best-selling author/illustrator of the Hazardous Tales series, as well as many picture books including Yellowbelly and Plum go to School, the Twelve Bots of Christmas and The Devil You Know.
He is the illustrator of the Eisner-nominated graphic novel Rapunzel's Revenge and its sequel, Calamity Jack. He also illustrated Frankenstein: A Monstrous Parody, The Dinosaurs' Night Before Christmas, Animal House and many others.
(He is not the author of Extinction Earth or the other apocalyptic titles listed. That's a different Nathan Hale. If someone with "librarian" status would disambiguate those titles for me, I'd appreciate it.)
Learn more at www.spacestationnathan.blogspot.com
He is the illustrator of the Eisner-nominated graphic novel Rapunzel's Revenge and its sequel, Calamity Jack. He also illustrated Frankenstein: A Monstrous Parody, The Dinosaurs' Night Before Christmas, Animal House and many others.
(He is not the author of Extinction Earth or the other apocalyptic titles listed. That's a different Nathan Hale. If someone with "librarian" status would disambiguate those titles for me, I'd appreciate it.)
Learn more at www.spacestationnathan.blogspot.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 399 reviews
February 26, 2017
Let us say, for the sake of argument, that you are a wonderfully successful author/artist of a New York Times bestselling graphic novel series about historical events. Hazardous historical events. Let us say that you want to do a new book. You have done fantasy before. You have done picture books before. You’re inclined to do a new kind of book. So what do you do? You create something in the science fiction genre. But is it a tame, average, everyday piece of science fiction? Not exactly. In fact, if I were to describe One Trick Pony by Nathan Hale to you, the only thing I could say would be to say that it is Road Warrior meets War of the Worlds meets Misty of Chincoteague. Don’t believe me? Well here’s the kicker. Those three seemingly disparate elements meld together perfectly. Mr. Hale, I’d say you did it again, but honestly what you just did has never been done before.
It was supposed to be a routine mission. Three teenagers are searching for some long forgotten bits of technology for their traveling caravan. We are in a future where things are bleak for the people of Earth. An alien species known as the Pipers has invaded and they’ve been gobbling up all our metal and technology with frightening speed. Strata, her brother Auger, and their friend Inby may have just hit the motherload too. In a hidden bunker they find an old robot horse named Kleidi and a cache of technology. Unfortunately, their discovery does not go unnoticed. Now they’re on the run from some particularly hostile aliens and roving bands of wild human clans, all in the hopes of recovering a single, magnificent robotic pony. A pony that may be the saving of them all.
At first glance you might think that One Trick Pony bears few similarities to Hale’s “Hazardous Tales” series aside from the art style and the Hangman-esque Inby, but look a little closer. When the review journal Kirkus covered this book they said that it, “blends adventure, aliens, an apocalyptic future, and folklore into an easy-to-read stand-alone.” You want to know how many pages it has in total to do that in? 128. Now I’m an old lady. I’m tired of slogging through thick tomes and books where the authors are incapable of speaking succinctly and to the point. After all these years of condensing such magnificently sprawling historical moments as WWI or the life of Harriet Tubman into his tight little books, Hale is now capable of doing the same for fantastical sci-fi epics. This book is genuinely thrilling, original, funny, and terrifying by turns. I dare say it takes skill to turn out something this short, sweet and standalone-ish.
When I worked for New York Public Library we would read as many children’s books as possible in a given year and then come up with a Top 100 list of titles. It was great fun, but over time I learned that there was one kind of book my NYC librarians would refuse to touch with a ten-foot-pole: This kind. Not science fiction epics (those are awesome). I’m talking pony books. Because let us face it, this book is a pony book at heart. Hale has a kind of weakness for ponies too. In Donner Dinner Party Hale's comic relief Hangman character was positively obsessed with the fate of one of the character’s ponies. Here the pony may be metal but it’s as brave and self-sacrificing as any Black Stallion. In the pantheon of classic pony books, Kleidi the wonder robot deserves to be remembered.
At the beginning of my librarian career, around 2003 or so, I gave myself an odd little task. I decided to read every single English language post-apocalyptic children’s book ever conceived. This was long before The Hunger Games came out and dystopias were the norm. As it happens, in the 70s and 80s America experiencing a blossoming of freaky deaky books about the fall of civilization. So charged headlong into The Girl Who Owned a City, Eva, Noah’s Castle and so many more. Of course I’ve always had a penchant for alien invasions so The White Mountains series by John Christopher was a real favorite. Granted, it was probably one of the more sexist books out there but I loved the tentacled pyramid-shaped alien invaders. Christopher’s classic is probably One Trick Pony’s closest relative, in terms of sci-fi children’s book predecessors. That said, Hale’s book is clearly in a class of its own. The girls in this book fight and fight hard. The aliens are terrifying, no matter what they look like. And for a concept so simple (they aliens want our metals and technology) I swear I’ve never seen that particular storyline done in a book for kids before.
Kids who love graphic novels and science fiction often only have one single genre to pull from: space travel. Don’t get me wrong. Books like Craig Thompson’s Space Dumplins are amazing, and I can’t help but adore the futuristic conspiracy-theory title The Silver Six by A.J. Lieberman is a treat. Space aliens on earth are trickier. They tend towards the adorable, like Judd Winick’s winning Hilo series or downright goofy like James Kochalka’s The Glorkian Warrior books. If they actually go in for an attack it still leans towards the adorable, as in David Elliott’s Wuv Bunnies from Outers Pace. Creating something in the genre of science fiction that is serious and involves space aliens would cause your average everyday cartoonist to think, “series”. At least five books, right? Now here’s the kicker. One Trick Pony, as I mentioned earlier, is a standalone title. One. That’s all you get.
Now I’ve followed Mr. Hale’s career from his earliest picture books (if you haven’t read Yellowbelly and Plum Go to School you’re in for a treat) to his earliest comics (Rapunzel’s Revenge remains popular in every library system I’ve ever worked in) to today. The Rapunzel’s Revenge books had epic storylines that encompassed fantastical creatures and a range of different settings. Yet for all that they were Technicolor eye-popping wonders, I will make the case that even with its restrained palette of blue and gold, this is Mr. Hale’s best illustrated work. I say this in large part because he’s managed to not only conjure up a believable post-apocalyptic setting, but also distinct characters and, let’s face it, the creepiest aliens I’ve ever seen in a book for kids. The Pipers, as the humans call them, are horrifying. The metal bodies they walk around in on earth are equal parts amorphous and insectlike. But the moment you see their home base in the sky you truly appreciate Hale’s attention to detail. Clearly he is at peace with his inner H.R. Giger. There’s such a fine attention to the biological components of these alien species that eat without cease. Their entire base is almost nothing more than a massive digestive system. It’s a nightmare that somehow manages to reign in the horror just enough to remain palatable to children. And palatable it shall be!
When I worked as a children’s librarian I ran a book group for 9-12 year olds. One girl would come in every week and ask, with this heartbreaking gleam of hope in her eyes, whether or not we had any new graphic novels that week. If she had her way our library would have purchased a new GN every single week of the year. That actually sounds pretty reasonable, but the publishing world doesn’t operate like that. You’re lucky to get more than forty new quality graphic novels in 365 days. So like that girl I wait and I watch and pounce when I see something good or original or even downright strange. One Trick Pony is all those things and more. A magnificent bit of storytelling hidden in a slick, slim little package. Even if you’ve never cared for science fiction, and even if aliens normally bore you to tears, you’ll find something to love about this book. I mean it’s about a girl and her pony, after all. What’s not to like?
For ages 9-12.
It was supposed to be a routine mission. Three teenagers are searching for some long forgotten bits of technology for their traveling caravan. We are in a future where things are bleak for the people of Earth. An alien species known as the Pipers has invaded and they’ve been gobbling up all our metal and technology with frightening speed. Strata, her brother Auger, and their friend Inby may have just hit the motherload too. In a hidden bunker they find an old robot horse named Kleidi and a cache of technology. Unfortunately, their discovery does not go unnoticed. Now they’re on the run from some particularly hostile aliens and roving bands of wild human clans, all in the hopes of recovering a single, magnificent robotic pony. A pony that may be the saving of them all.
At first glance you might think that One Trick Pony bears few similarities to Hale’s “Hazardous Tales” series aside from the art style and the Hangman-esque Inby, but look a little closer. When the review journal Kirkus covered this book they said that it, “blends adventure, aliens, an apocalyptic future, and folklore into an easy-to-read stand-alone.” You want to know how many pages it has in total to do that in? 128. Now I’m an old lady. I’m tired of slogging through thick tomes and books where the authors are incapable of speaking succinctly and to the point. After all these years of condensing such magnificently sprawling historical moments as WWI or the life of Harriet Tubman into his tight little books, Hale is now capable of doing the same for fantastical sci-fi epics. This book is genuinely thrilling, original, funny, and terrifying by turns. I dare say it takes skill to turn out something this short, sweet and standalone-ish.
When I worked for New York Public Library we would read as many children’s books as possible in a given year and then come up with a Top 100 list of titles. It was great fun, but over time I learned that there was one kind of book my NYC librarians would refuse to touch with a ten-foot-pole: This kind. Not science fiction epics (those are awesome). I’m talking pony books. Because let us face it, this book is a pony book at heart. Hale has a kind of weakness for ponies too. In Donner Dinner Party Hale's comic relief Hangman character was positively obsessed with the fate of one of the character’s ponies. Here the pony may be metal but it’s as brave and self-sacrificing as any Black Stallion. In the pantheon of classic pony books, Kleidi the wonder robot deserves to be remembered.
At the beginning of my librarian career, around 2003 or so, I gave myself an odd little task. I decided to read every single English language post-apocalyptic children’s book ever conceived. This was long before The Hunger Games came out and dystopias were the norm. As it happens, in the 70s and 80s America experiencing a blossoming of freaky deaky books about the fall of civilization. So charged headlong into The Girl Who Owned a City, Eva, Noah’s Castle and so many more. Of course I’ve always had a penchant for alien invasions so The White Mountains series by John Christopher was a real favorite. Granted, it was probably one of the more sexist books out there but I loved the tentacled pyramid-shaped alien invaders. Christopher’s classic is probably One Trick Pony’s closest relative, in terms of sci-fi children’s book predecessors. That said, Hale’s book is clearly in a class of its own. The girls in this book fight and fight hard. The aliens are terrifying, no matter what they look like. And for a concept so simple (they aliens want our metals and technology) I swear I’ve never seen that particular storyline done in a book for kids before.
Kids who love graphic novels and science fiction often only have one single genre to pull from: space travel. Don’t get me wrong. Books like Craig Thompson’s Space Dumplins are amazing, and I can’t help but adore the futuristic conspiracy-theory title The Silver Six by A.J. Lieberman is a treat. Space aliens on earth are trickier. They tend towards the adorable, like Judd Winick’s winning Hilo series or downright goofy like James Kochalka’s The Glorkian Warrior books. If they actually go in for an attack it still leans towards the adorable, as in David Elliott’s Wuv Bunnies from Outers Pace. Creating something in the genre of science fiction that is serious and involves space aliens would cause your average everyday cartoonist to think, “series”. At least five books, right? Now here’s the kicker. One Trick Pony, as I mentioned earlier, is a standalone title. One. That’s all you get.
Now I’ve followed Mr. Hale’s career from his earliest picture books (if you haven’t read Yellowbelly and Plum Go to School you’re in for a treat) to his earliest comics (Rapunzel’s Revenge remains popular in every library system I’ve ever worked in) to today. The Rapunzel’s Revenge books had epic storylines that encompassed fantastical creatures and a range of different settings. Yet for all that they were Technicolor eye-popping wonders, I will make the case that even with its restrained palette of blue and gold, this is Mr. Hale’s best illustrated work. I say this in large part because he’s managed to not only conjure up a believable post-apocalyptic setting, but also distinct characters and, let’s face it, the creepiest aliens I’ve ever seen in a book for kids. The Pipers, as the humans call them, are horrifying. The metal bodies they walk around in on earth are equal parts amorphous and insectlike. But the moment you see their home base in the sky you truly appreciate Hale’s attention to detail. Clearly he is at peace with his inner H.R. Giger. There’s such a fine attention to the biological components of these alien species that eat without cease. Their entire base is almost nothing more than a massive digestive system. It’s a nightmare that somehow manages to reign in the horror just enough to remain palatable to children. And palatable it shall be!
When I worked as a children’s librarian I ran a book group for 9-12 year olds. One girl would come in every week and ask, with this heartbreaking gleam of hope in her eyes, whether or not we had any new graphic novels that week. If she had her way our library would have purchased a new GN every single week of the year. That actually sounds pretty reasonable, but the publishing world doesn’t operate like that. You’re lucky to get more than forty new quality graphic novels in 365 days. So like that girl I wait and I watch and pounce when I see something good or original or even downright strange. One Trick Pony is all those things and more. A magnificent bit of storytelling hidden in a slick, slim little package. Even if you’ve never cared for science fiction, and even if aliens normally bore you to tears, you’ll find something to love about this book. I mean it’s about a girl and her pony, after all. What’s not to like?
For ages 9-12.
April 12, 2017
The best? The best.
Aliens.
Robots.
Plucky heroines.
A bleak post-alien-invasion landscape.
Ponies!
All in one, stand alone, graphic novel.
Definitely the best.
Aliens.
Robots.
Plucky heroines.
A bleak post-alien-invasion landscape.
Ponies!
All in one, stand alone, graphic novel.
Definitely the best.
March 20, 2017
A dystopian sci-fi adventure graphic novel for tweens, I’d say, set in a future where most of humankind seems gone, and where aliens named Pipers are eating all the technology (and humans!) (I know, the connection doesn’t make sense to me, either!) and a traveling group of “digital rescuers,” The Caravan, is trying to save some computers so they can preserve the history of humankind (so that at some point humankind can start over again, in earnest).
There’s also some outlaws called Ferals who live according to standards of a pre-electric age. There’s a strong girl main character, Strata, who finds and rides a robot pony named Kleidi (The One Trick Pony!) and saves the day.
The drawing is the best thing about One Trick Pony, capturing the pace of a fantasy-sci-fi adventure. The aliens are especially cool. It’s pretty fun! I would have said 3.5 but my kids liked it more, so I bump it up to 4. It reminds me of The White Mountains by John Christopher, a sixties alien invasion trilogy, and of course the recent Arrival, because of the cool aliens.
Hale does the popular historical non-fiction series Hazardous Tales, and did Rapunzel's Revenge, too.
There’s also some outlaws called Ferals who live according to standards of a pre-electric age. There’s a strong girl main character, Strata, who finds and rides a robot pony named Kleidi (The One Trick Pony!) and saves the day.
The drawing is the best thing about One Trick Pony, capturing the pace of a fantasy-sci-fi adventure. The aliens are especially cool. It’s pretty fun! I would have said 3.5 but my kids liked it more, so I bump it up to 4. It reminds me of The White Mountains by John Christopher, a sixties alien invasion trilogy, and of course the recent Arrival, because of the cool aliens.
Hale does the popular historical non-fiction series Hazardous Tales, and did Rapunzel's Revenge, too.
June 22, 2022
│Graphic Novel│Science Fiction│Dystopian│Steampunk│
One Trick Pony is a fun graphic novel set in a futuristic world where technology has become rare and strange creatures called pipers are constantly eating up what's left of the TVs, cameras, guns, cars, computers, robots and movies of the past age. This is the land Strata and her family and friends live in, and when she discovers (and falls in love with) a robotic pony, she invites trouble to their door—in the form of the piping aliens.
I gotta say that this book was a little strange, but then again, I could list quite a few graphic novels that are stranger than this one. The thrills, adventure, and chases of One Trick Pony alone make this a satisfying and worthwhile read. Other than that, I also loved the gray and gold color palette that helps to distinguish this book as both dystopian and steampunk.
One Trick Pony is a fun graphic novel set in a futuristic world where technology has become rare and strange creatures called pipers are constantly eating up what's left of the TVs, cameras, guns, cars, computers, robots and movies of the past age. This is the land Strata and her family and friends live in, and when she discovers (and falls in love with) a robotic pony, she invites trouble to their door—in the form of the piping aliens.
I gotta say that this book was a little strange, but then again, I could list quite a few graphic novels that are stranger than this one. The thrills, adventure, and chases of One Trick Pony alone make this a satisfying and worthwhile read. Other than that, I also loved the gray and gold color palette that helps to distinguish this book as both dystopian and steampunk.
February 14, 2021
Would have rounded up my rating to four stars if the typeface were larger, if there was more backstory, if I could tell individuals apart better, if there were just *more.* This is awfully simplistic and the pictures, while charming, don't actually carry as much of the story-telling as they could.
I still love the cover, though.
I still love the cover, though.
December 12, 2019
In a world gone mad . . . it takes a girl and her robot horse to save the population from destruction. Scary villains, one brave heroine, AND robots!
This was a terrific read - both engrossing and entertaining. Upon completion, I immediately ordered a copy of the author's Donner Dinner Party.
This was a terrific read - both engrossing and entertaining. Upon completion, I immediately ordered a copy of the author's Donner Dinner Party.
October 30, 2017
One Trick Pony - Nathan Hale I enjoyed this enormously: I liked the juxtaposition of multiple different cultures and societies. The premise was intriguing, the kids are resourceful, the parents believable, the robots were funny. Good set up and good payoff. I would thing this would be insanely popular since it's like to appeal to fans of fantasy and science fiction, to horse people and
Western people, everyone really, except aliens.
My only problem with the book is a technical detail: I had tremendous trouble reading the speech sometimes. Yes, I'm old and the eyes go and dim lighting isn't sufficient anymore et cetera, et cetera, but none of that troubles me when reading anything else. I'm not confident I know what the difficulty was: whether the book pages were too small (for me), or the font size too small (for me), or the contrast not sharp enough (for me). I can't say with any certainty. But it made for an uncomfortable experience. I'm a motivated reader, so I stuck with it, but I can imagine that not everyone would. YMMV
Library copy
Western people, everyone really, except aliens.
My only problem with the book is a technical detail: I had tremendous trouble reading the speech sometimes. Yes, I'm old and the eyes go and dim lighting isn't sufficient anymore et cetera, et cetera, but none of that troubles me when reading anything else. I'm not confident I know what the difficulty was: whether the book pages were too small (for me), or the font size too small (for me), or the contrast not sharp enough (for me). I can't say with any certainty. But it made for an uncomfortable experience. I'm a motivated reader, so I stuck with it, but I can imagine that not everyone would. YMMV
Library copy
June 9, 2017
I picked this up for a nephew going into middle school. I like to read the books I get for the young ones in my life before giving them the books, to vet them first, make sure they are appropriate.
This one was ok. I liked the artwork, but the aliens were scary and it was rather violent. The protag is a female, so I'm not sure the nephew will like it or not, but I'm going to give it a try. Will update as I find out how he likes it.
3, I enjoyed it well enough, stars.
I seem to be getting a lot of graphic novels for the kiddos. Not purposeful, other than for my cousin, but not a bad thing. :)
This one was ok. I liked the artwork, but the aliens were scary and it was rather violent. The protag is a female, so I'm not sure the nephew will like it or not, but I'm going to give it a try. Will update as I find out how he likes it.
3, I enjoyed it well enough, stars.
I seem to be getting a lot of graphic novels for the kiddos. Not purposeful, other than for my cousin, but not a bad thing. :)
June 5, 2017
Cannot WAIT to see this in full color. Swirling fine-line illustrations hark back to Nathan's work on Rapunzel's Revenge and Calamity Jack. Marvelous monsters, lavish landscapes, and expressive little figures - so good, I've heard comparisons to Mobius and my own all-time favorite, Matt Howarth.
March 27, 2018
Check out more manga and graphic novel reviews @ Perspective of a Writer...
In the future, earth has been taken over by aliens hungry for... technology! Pipers run around and gather electrical devices and robots into bubbles that ascend into the sky. Strata is part of the caravan... a group who rescue everything they can from the alien's maw. When Strata, her brother and their friend becomes separated from the caravan she must rely on her rare robot pony to escape outlaws and aliens — and defeat the invaders once and for all.
i picked this up randomly from a display in my library because the art was too, too gorgeous! Flipping through it, it reminded me of a sort of middle grade comic but the art was so good it looked like an adult could enjoy it as well... And I totally bought the world as it was in the future because the art totally SOLD it! In fact I felt like the art sold each step of the way despite the simple story! Even the way the end was tied up neatly was acceptable because of the art...
I did feel like the plot was overly simply... We are talking world building, establishing the situation, and taking out the villains all the the space of 127 pages! And plot does not fly by within a comic strip story structure. So I did cut it some slack. Really the simplicity was creatively established and super fun!
The tension was pretty high! The situations were simple but I was TOTALLY rooting for Strata and Kleidi! I actually didn't expect the end so it was flying through the pages astonished we were going there already... so that was fun and unexpected (I didn't read the premise until after so that really helped with enjoyment!)
I loved the whole point of Strata's caravan and why the aliens were there. I was a little shocked as Strata was by where the aliens were going with their invasion... so I bought a lot of what the story was telling us... And I appreciated how a lot of it was established along the way (like Kleidi's role in the story) and we weren't just told at the end!! That went a long way to making this hurried story way more believable than it ought to have been...
This is a lovely little graphic novel. I would highly suggest it to anyone looking to get a young teen involved in reading more, especially is they are partial to good, good art!
⋆⭐⭐⭐⭐ Authenticity
⋆⭐⭐⭐⭐ Tension
⋆ ⋆⭐⭐⭐ Plot
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Art
BOTTOM LINE: Strata and Kleidi to the Rescue!!
______________________
You can find this review and many others on my book blog @ Perspective of a Writer. See my manga and graphic novel reviews in a special feature called Saturday Morning Cartoons...
December 10, 2017
First, let's get the weirdly sexist blurb out of the way. This book is not about Strata and her brother. In fact, it's not even just Strata and her brother who get separated from the caravan. Their male friend is with them as well. I have no idea why the blurb makes it sound like a brother/sister act, because in reality, Strata saves the day while the boys do nothing helpful; in fact, they manage to get themselves captured and nearly killed.
So, setting that aside, what do we have? A pretty entertaining graphic novel. It's funny that I picked this up at the same time as Doug TenNapel's Ghostopolis. Both had a sequence with an unusual horse saving its teenage rider from a group of monsters using the exact same trick. The panels were almost identical! Whether Hale read Ghostopolis and decided to use the same sequence, I don't know; I just thought it was an amusing coincidence.
Unlike Ghostopolis, this is a darker story, even though it's intended for a younger audience. The post-apocalyptic landscape was creepy, and the aliens (called pipers because of the pi-pi-pi noise they make) were downright horrifying. I'm kind of glad this one was done with a monochromatic scheme, because full colour might've given me nightmares.
The story was quite imaginative, and I liked the whole idea of the world that was built here. I do have one major complaint with the story, however, and that was the ending. It was way too abrupt. If there was ever a book that needed an epilogue, it's this one.
My other complaint is about a minor (but still irritating) issue. This graphic novel had the smallest text I've seen so far. I couldn't even read it on a 21" monitor without having to zoom in. That's part of the reason why it took me so long to get through it, even though it's fairly short. Zoom, scroll, click... It was kind of a waste of time. And it's not like there wasn't room for larger text. I have a feeling that if I'd read this in physical form, I would've needed a magnifying glass.
All in all, this is a cool story with decent characters and some wonderfully horrible villains. Oh, and a title that makes perfect sense once you read the book. But I won't spoil that for you. Go check it out for yourself!
Read this review on my blog.
So, setting that aside, what do we have? A pretty entertaining graphic novel. It's funny that I picked this up at the same time as Doug TenNapel's Ghostopolis. Both had a sequence with an unusual horse saving its teenage rider from a group of monsters using the exact same trick. The panels were almost identical! Whether Hale read Ghostopolis and decided to use the same sequence, I don't know; I just thought it was an amusing coincidence.
Unlike Ghostopolis, this is a darker story, even though it's intended for a younger audience. The post-apocalyptic landscape was creepy, and the aliens (called pipers because of the pi-pi-pi noise they make) were downright horrifying. I'm kind of glad this one was done with a monochromatic scheme, because full colour might've given me nightmares.
The story was quite imaginative, and I liked the whole idea of the world that was built here. I do have one major complaint with the story, however, and that was the ending. It was way too abrupt. If there was ever a book that needed an epilogue, it's this one.
My other complaint is about a minor (but still irritating) issue. This graphic novel had the smallest text I've seen so far. I couldn't even read it on a 21" monitor without having to zoom in. That's part of the reason why it took me so long to get through it, even though it's fairly short. Zoom, scroll, click... It was kind of a waste of time. And it's not like there wasn't room for larger text. I have a feeling that if I'd read this in physical form, I would've needed a magnifying glass.
All in all, this is a cool story with decent characters and some wonderfully horrible villains. Oh, and a title that makes perfect sense once you read the book. But I won't spoil that for you. Go check it out for yourself!
Read this review on my blog.
August 12, 2017
We are big fans of Nathan Hale. We raved over Rapunzel's Revenge and the sequel, Calamity Jack. And we are simply giddy every time a new story in the Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales series comes out.
So I about lost it when I discovered this stand-alone tale among the new graphic novels at our local library. We were very excited to read a brand new story, and even more excited to see that it has a steampunk/apocalyptic-kind of vibe.
The illustrations are mostly black/white/sepia tones with tints of yellow used primarily for Kleidi the robotic horse, the globe 'eyes' on the alien pipers, the humanoid robot 'faces', and some of the backgrounds. It's a common technique in many popular graphic novel series, and it is successful here.
The lack of color helps to show the devastating destruction the alien invaders have wreaked upon the planet. And the various groups of characters show the primitive methods people must resort to in order to survive without (or with limited) technology.
Overall, it was an exciting and engaging story and we are looking forward to seeing what Mr. Hale comes up with next.
So I about lost it when I discovered this stand-alone tale among the new graphic novels at our local library. We were very excited to read a brand new story, and even more excited to see that it has a steampunk/apocalyptic-kind of vibe.
The illustrations are mostly black/white/sepia tones with tints of yellow used primarily for Kleidi the robotic horse, the globe 'eyes' on the alien pipers, the humanoid robot 'faces', and some of the backgrounds. It's a common technique in many popular graphic novel series, and it is successful here.
The lack of color helps to show the devastating destruction the alien invaders have wreaked upon the planet. And the various groups of characters show the primitive methods people must resort to in order to survive without (or with limited) technology.
Overall, it was an exciting and engaging story and we are looking forward to seeing what Mr. Hale comes up with next.
June 4, 2017
I was not expecting this story to be an amazing steampunk adventure, but that's exactly what it is. I've always loved Nate's artistic ability, and his Hazardous Tales history comics are so fun to read: insightful, funny, and thoroughly engaging. And One Trick Pony is all of these, of course, but I really loved how inventive the story is. I also loved the art and the colors used in the design - mostly back and white. Overall, loved it (no surprise there).
June 17, 2020
Sci-fi dystopias are always fun, and the same can be said of those in graphic novel form.
April 2, 2019
One of the best graphic novels I've read for a while, period. It's intended for kids but it's enjoyable and engaging as an adult too. The story was compelling and I loved the artwork. The two-tone palette was striking and fitting for the post-apocalyptic setting, most of the background art was gorgeous (the caravans!), and the alien designs were unique and super creepy. My only real complaint is that it ended pretty abruptly - I think if it had continued just a couple pages longer, it would've been perfect.
July 7, 2017
Nathan Hale takes a break from his awesome historical graphic novel series Hazardous Tales for this one-off post-apocalyptic science fiction adventure. On a future earth in which creepy, amoebic aliens referred to as pipers literally consume any technology they can find, a girl named Strata lives with her family in a nomadic archivist caravan that seeks to scavenge technology and digital history to preserve it from the relentless pipers. When Strata one day discovers an amazing robotic pony and refuses to part with it, she inadvertently alerts both the pipers and violent post-technology bandits to the existence of her family’s caravan, leading to a terrible showdown.
The story, characters, and world of this book are vivid and immediately engaging, the artwork is stunning, and the movement and action is non-stop, almost cinematic. This is a quick read that is a perfect recommendation for sci-fi, adventure, and Star Wars fans, even if they are fans of such movies more than books, as well as for fans of great graphic novels and illustration.
Review published at: http://www.granitemedia.org/2017/07/o...
The story, characters, and world of this book are vivid and immediately engaging, the artwork is stunning, and the movement and action is non-stop, almost cinematic. This is a quick read that is a perfect recommendation for sci-fi, adventure, and Star Wars fans, even if they are fans of such movies more than books, as well as for fans of great graphic novels and illustration.
Review published at: http://www.granitemedia.org/2017/07/o...
May 12, 2018
Nathan Hale’s art style is amazing! Love this sci-fi graphic novel.
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March 30, 2019
Strata and her friends find a robot horse while scavenging in post-alien invasion Earth, and accidentally launch a planet-wide hunt for them, their new friend, and their entire moving village.
I've been looking for this book for a solid three years, probably. Ever since I heard about it, read the blurb and was like, horses and aliens??
This rating doesn't mean I was disappointed. It's entertaining and imaginative, even if the only person with personality is Inby, who is a secondary character (and, while one dimensional, at least has one dimension to his personality).
I liked the concept of the aliens, who were seriously creepy. I liked the world itself, and I loved the color scheme and illustrations.
My issues were from the ending bits. No. Not that part about the ending. That part makes sense. It is a one trick pony, after all. But this one.
Overall, it was a short read and kept me engaged throughout the end, but suffered from continuity problems and one-dimensional characters.
I've been looking for this book for a solid three years, probably. Ever since I heard about it, read the blurb and was like, horses and aliens??
This rating doesn't mean I was disappointed. It's entertaining and imaginative, even if the only person with personality is Inby, who is a secondary character (and, while one dimensional, at least has one dimension to his personality).
I liked the concept of the aliens, who were seriously creepy. I liked the world itself, and I loved the color scheme and illustrations.
My issues were from the ending bits. No. Not that part about the ending. That part makes sense. It is a one trick pony, after all. But this one.
Overall, it was a short read and kept me engaged throughout the end, but suffered from continuity problems and one-dimensional characters.
April 10, 2023
9- This is a middle grade/ YA SF graphic novel, but I will note that it is also worthwile for adult lovers of post apocalyptic stories. It just lacks gruesome violence or sexual matters, while the art style is not overly complex. There is also a little more humor than there would be in an adult graphic novel. You could say this is a 'pony story' - as it's about a girl with her robot pony. But it's a lot more than that. For one, this story has fascinating alien designs. The 'pipers' look really strange and have a really alien behaviour. If only for that aspect it is an interesting read. Their design works even in the relatively simple art style. That is complemented with the coloring choice. There is only one color used - mostly to indicate life. It works well. Due to the influence of the aliens even common landscapes are transformed in interesting ways. This makes the novel visually appealing. And if as an adult reader you see the robots in this story as sentient (and they are, according to the aliens), this gains a layer as a horror story. The worldbuilding is interesting (there are moving cities and people reduced to life as nomadic cattle keepers) and the action scenes are well staged. It was a bit short to really get a feel for the characters, as the story describes only the events of a single day.
If you like alien invasion SF or post apocalyptic SF in graphic novel form, and are open to middle grade/YA-reads, this is really excellent. It's one that I will certainly reread!
If you like alien invasion SF or post apocalyptic SF in graphic novel form, and are open to middle grade/YA-reads, this is really excellent. It's one that I will certainly reread!
August 23, 2020
Oh goodness. Where do I start? This book was a wonderful book. The whole concept of our world getting very advanced and then monsters coming and destroying it... awesome. On top of that... a robot horse!!! can it get any better? I love . I needed to read more of a "light" read in between all the YA I have been reading... if you look at how much I have been reading as well. Got to be the best thing to come out of Coronavirus.
PARENT NOTE: This one is fine! Only one spot with a spot to hang the "Cattle Rustler".
AGE RECOMMENDATION: 8 and up!
ROMANCE: None.
SWEARING: Very little if any.
VIOLENCE: They are killing or hurting things that are taking all the robots.
PARENT NOTE: This one is fine! Only one spot with a spot to hang the "Cattle Rustler".
AGE RECOMMENDATION: 8 and up!
ROMANCE: None.
SWEARING: Very little if any.
VIOLENCE: They are killing or hurting things that are taking all the robots.
November 2, 2018
This was a great graphic novel. It had likable characters in Strata and Kleidi, and then unlikable characters, like Inby. When I first saw this book in my school's library, I immediately grabbed it. Not because it was a graphic novel, but because of the author. Nathan Hale has been one of my favorite graphic novel authors and illustrators ever since I read his "Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales" series. I saw the illustrations on the cover, and grabbed it.
March 18, 2024
it was a fun, and funny book, and I liked that it had a pony and aliens. it was cool!
September 1, 2018
A very interesting take on dystopia, what with the aliens not eating humans or any of the usual, but technology.to me though the ending is slightly disturbing, having the alien overlords being choked to death by Heidi.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 15, 2017
This is an enjoyable read and the art is great. The story takes place in a kind of part futuristic part quasi-stone-age (?) world. A group of teens from a more "modern" community that has dedicated itself to saving a bunch of computerized archives--digitalized historical and cultural artifacts of the pre-apocalypse world--are out foraging and they chance upon an underground bunker with a bunch of robots and computers. They accidentally power the stuff up which attracts the bad guys, space monsters who float around and capure things in bubbles and like to eat machines. (Well, maybe not just machines, but definitely machines.)
The bad guys, space monsters that eat machinery like its potato chips, show up pretty quickly, and start eating the machinery and robots. They're dangerous to humans as well so the kids are trying to escape. The kids, at a certain point, could just leave and have a not too stressful getaway it seems, but one of them has found a robot horse and refuses to abandon the horse even though she's putting herself and everyone else in great danger.
And then the kids have a run in with a kid around their age who is part of a group of people that has chosen to live in more of a "stone age" mode. And she's in trouble with her group of people. And she also knows how to fight robot monsters. (The primitive vs. suburban motif is a bit questionable at best).
Meanwhile the parents of the lost "modern" teenagers are worried about their missing kids and their technology and can tell something is amiss and that something serious is up with the bubble aiens. Rut roh!
All in all, this book is entertaining and fast-paced, but the set up happens very quickly (I would argue too quickly) as does the resolution. The characters are pretty caricature-ish. The ending isn't too believable even within the world of the book. In fact, most of the action kind of doesn't make sense. The book waffles between a few registers--Scooby Doo being one of them maybe, and then something a bit more sinister/creepy? It's like the book is trying to do too much and too little all at once. And it was kind of over when it might have been just beginning.
So, a lot of flaws and surface-skimming, but engaging and fun, too.
The bad guys, space monsters that eat machinery like its potato chips, show up pretty quickly, and start eating the machinery and robots. They're dangerous to humans as well so the kids are trying to escape. The kids, at a certain point, could just leave and have a not too stressful getaway it seems, but one of them has found a robot horse and refuses to abandon the horse even though she's putting herself and everyone else in great danger.
And then the kids have a run in with a kid around their age who is part of a group of people that has chosen to live in more of a "stone age" mode. And she's in trouble with her group of people. And she also knows how to fight robot monsters. (The primitive vs. suburban motif is a bit questionable at best).
Meanwhile the parents of the lost "modern" teenagers are worried about their missing kids and their technology and can tell something is amiss and that something serious is up with the bubble aiens. Rut roh!
All in all, this book is entertaining and fast-paced, but the set up happens very quickly (I would argue too quickly) as does the resolution. The characters are pretty caricature-ish. The ending isn't too believable even within the world of the book. In fact, most of the action kind of doesn't make sense. The book waffles between a few registers--Scooby Doo being one of them maybe, and then something a bit more sinister/creepy? It's like the book is trying to do too much and too little all at once. And it was kind of over when it might have been just beginning.
So, a lot of flaws and surface-skimming, but engaging and fun, too.
March 13, 2017
I received a free copy of this graphic novel from Amulet/Abrams & Chronicle in exchange for an honest review.
This a fun, entertaining graphic novel about a dystopian world where strange alien creatures have ravaged the earth of its technology. Humans are now struggling to survive and one girl called Strata lives in a community that tries to salvage tech before it can be found by aliens. When Strata finds an amazing robotic horse called Kleidi she ends up being chased by the aliens and fighting for her life.
I really enjoyed this graphic novel. It was fun and entertaining and it was also humorous as well. I definitely found myself laughing a lot of times during it and i really enjoyed that aspect of it. The drawings in the graphic novel were also a lot of fun and really nicely detailed - I haven't read a lot of graphic novels but I definitely liked the style of the finished pictures. The proof copy I had was in black and white but the finished copy will have grey and gold shading and I think this will look wonderful.
I enjoyed the world a lot and the idea of these weird aliens taking all the human tech. It made the world and the story a big adventure and gave a great intensity to the story. I enjoyed where it went in the end as well and how it all wrapped up.
This a fun, entertaining graphic novel about a dystopian world where strange alien creatures have ravaged the earth of its technology. Humans are now struggling to survive and one girl called Strata lives in a community that tries to salvage tech before it can be found by aliens. When Strata finds an amazing robotic horse called Kleidi she ends up being chased by the aliens and fighting for her life.
I really enjoyed this graphic novel. It was fun and entertaining and it was also humorous as well. I definitely found myself laughing a lot of times during it and i really enjoyed that aspect of it. The drawings in the graphic novel were also a lot of fun and really nicely detailed - I haven't read a lot of graphic novels but I definitely liked the style of the finished pictures. The proof copy I had was in black and white but the finished copy will have grey and gold shading and I think this will look wonderful.
I enjoyed the world a lot and the idea of these weird aliens taking all the human tech. It made the world and the story a big adventure and gave a great intensity to the story. I enjoyed where it went in the end as well and how it all wrapped up.
April 4, 2017
'One Trick Pony' by Nathan Hale drew me in with a very artistic cover. The story and art inside turned out to be just as engaging.
It is the dystopian future and hungry aliens are eating electrical devices. Strata and her friends and family live in a caravan staying one step ahead of these aliens. They scavenge for the technology of the past in the hope of one day rebuilding. Strata and her brother are on a scavenging trip when they find a room full of robots and an unusual mechanical horse named Kleidi. Triggering these devices brings on the aliens, who are looking for such things. The kids find themselves separated from their family, but they also find some unusual allies along the way. What will be the purpose of this strange golden horse.
It's a graphic novel for younger readers, but I felt like it was solid science fiction story. The art has minimal colors, but that only enhances the amazing line work in the pages. The level of menace is strong, even though this is a story for younger readers, and I didn't ever feel like any character was completely safe. I really liked this one.
I received a review copy of this graphic novel from ABRAMS Kids and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
It is the dystopian future and hungry aliens are eating electrical devices. Strata and her friends and family live in a caravan staying one step ahead of these aliens. They scavenge for the technology of the past in the hope of one day rebuilding. Strata and her brother are on a scavenging trip when they find a room full of robots and an unusual mechanical horse named Kleidi. Triggering these devices brings on the aliens, who are looking for such things. The kids find themselves separated from their family, but they also find some unusual allies along the way. What will be the purpose of this strange golden horse.
It's a graphic novel for younger readers, but I felt like it was solid science fiction story. The art has minimal colors, but that only enhances the amazing line work in the pages. The level of menace is strong, even though this is a story for younger readers, and I didn't ever feel like any character was completely safe. I really liked this one.
I received a review copy of this graphic novel from ABRAMS Kids and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
May 14, 2018
I really enjoyed this graphic novel, but it saddened me that Kleidi, the pony, I had been hoping for a happier ending, considering that the book is titled One Trick Pony.
But it was not to be.
Apart from that, I liked Strata, wished a bubble had lopped off Indy's head, and felt undecided about Auger. (He seemed to be smarter than Indy, I'll give him that.) I also enjoyed seeing an Earth overrun with Pipers - aliens who call "Pi pi pi pi pi pi pi" when they spot robotics or mechanical things. They then capture these robots and other mechanical things for reasons unknown until the end. Spoiler: !
One thing that I could be nitpicky about but I'm not going to complain is. . . If the Pipers can sniff out mechanical stuff, how is Strata's caravan able to stay safe from them when they've overrun the planet? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ But as I said, I just accepted that they were able to stay safe and enjoyed the story.
I probably won't ever reread it. I can't imagine myself wanting to go scavenging with Inby again or living through the ending again. But for a one-time story, this was a very enjoyable read. And the art was pretty great, too. :-)
But it was not to be.
Apart from that, I liked Strata, wished a bubble had lopped off Indy's head, and felt undecided about Auger. (He seemed to be smarter than Indy, I'll give him that.) I also enjoyed seeing an Earth overrun with Pipers - aliens who call "Pi pi pi pi pi pi pi" when they spot robotics or mechanical things. They then capture these robots and other mechanical things for reasons unknown until the end. Spoiler: !
One thing that I could be nitpicky about but I'm not going to complain is. . . If the Pipers can sniff out mechanical stuff, how is Strata's caravan able to stay safe from them when they've overrun the planet? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ But as I said, I just accepted that they were able to stay safe and enjoyed the story.
I probably won't ever reread it. I can't imagine myself wanting to go scavenging with Inby again or living through the ending again. But for a one-time story, this was a very enjoyable read. And the art was pretty great, too. :-)
June 7, 2017
The yellow and greyscale art is interesting and the story moved forward at a very fast pace. That was good, exciting, but also a bit of a drawback because you couldn't really develop a bigger connection with the characters, or really get invested. The strong bond between the girl and the pony seemed too fast and a bit unfounded because of this. The ending of the story felt very fast and woah! Interesting and a bit "Skyline" (film), but an abrupt finish. Also too easy/convenient. But clever, circling back around to the title, as well as clever in the response the creator gave to the question "if One Trick Pony was a food what would it be?" The answer was "raw horse, three pieces". ;)
So, despite the criticism, I enjoyed the book and can imagine it done well as a movie. That would be really cool! Interesting and suspenseful.
So, despite the criticism, I enjoyed the book and can imagine it done well as a movie. That would be really cool! Interesting and suspenseful.
March 31, 2017
Nathan Hale does it again! One Trick Pony is the story of a post-alien-invasion world. The aliens have taken all technology, and humans must live a pre-industrial life (with no use of metal whatsoever) in order to avoid detection. When some exploring teens discover a robot horse, and a forgotten cache of technology, they spark a battle between the humans and aliens that no one was quite prepared for.
I love the humor in Hale's graphic novels. He's such a genius with infusing humor into dire situations. I like the uniqueness of this tale, and I love that it is a stand alone graphic novel (so many these days are part of a series.) Excellent!
I love the humor in Hale's graphic novels. He's such a genius with infusing humor into dire situations. I like the uniqueness of this tale, and I love that it is a stand alone graphic novel (so many these days are part of a series.) Excellent!
September 30, 2017
I genuinely adored this, and I was reading an uncorrected proof I picked up on the gimmie table at the Nebulas. I can only imagine it is exquisite in its final finished form. Gorgeous art, charming characters, and great visual world-building.
I could quibble at some of the plot points, but eh? How can you quibble in the face of adorable robots, a robot pony, tough wild men who just want to pet alpacas, and freaky aliens? Oh and all the cool bubble-bite landscapes!
This was my jam. It cheered me endlessly.
I could quibble at some of the plot points, but eh? How can you quibble in the face of adorable robots, a robot pony, tough wild men who just want to pet alpacas, and freaky aliens? Oh and all the cool bubble-bite landscapes!
This was my jam. It cheered me endlessly.
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