Animal Rescue Friends

Animal Rescue Friends #1

by Gina Loveless, Meika Hashimoto, Genevieve Kote (Illustrator)

At the Animal Rescue Friends shelter, everyone is looking for a way to belong—kids and animals alike. From Epic! Originals, Animal Rescue Friends is a heartwarming, three-book graphic novel series filled with humor and furry friendships.

Welcome to Animal Rescue Friends, where any stray can find a friendly face—furry or otherwise. This first collection of middle-grade comics includes five tales of found A lonely girl living in the suburbs finds happiness with a stray pit bull; a protective mama ferret and her six kits learn to trust a shelter volunteer; a shy boy stands up for himself with the help of a strong-willed bunny; a cantankerous cat helps to mend a troubled relationship; and the shelter's unofficial mascot eventually finds a home. Perfect for animal-loving kids, this adorable comics series will inspire and uplift. 

Genres: Graphic Novels, Middle Grade, Animals, Childrens, Graphic Novels Comics, Realistic Fiction, Friendship

160 pages, Paperback

First published June 15, 2021

About the author

It was five years after Gina Loveless earned an MFA from California Institute of the Arts that she realized her mission as an author was to write books that helped all the weird kids of the world feel less alone. When she’s not writing or reading, Gina can be found in Eastern PA, boogying at concerts with her husband, tending to their awesome produce garden, or snuggling with her rescue dog Gerdie.

Reviews

[Mehsi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.


I just love animals, I love reading about rescue centres (the good ones), and I absolutely love Graphic Novels. So this one had to be read. Immediately.

In this book we have 5 stories, 4 different kids get a story. Maddie, the girl in the first story, also does the last one which I found terrific given the topic of that last story. I really liked reading the POVs and see everything centred around pets and the rescue centre.

I liked Maddie from the start. She just moved and we see that it was hard for her, BUT she is making the best of it. Making friends, helping out as volunteer (both to help and of course to see Boyd). She is a sweet and nice girl. I loved how she wasn’t afraid to do the dirty work and help out with everything. The last story and what happens there, my heart broke for Maddie. I mean after a month, I can imagine you get attached, especially when no owner appears. And then to have that happen. But I was proud of her how she handled it and how things were resolved in the end (that is such a good solution).

Bell’s first impression wasn’t a good one for me. Immediately getting angry while NOT knowing the circumstances of how Boyd got lost. Maybe someone DID take responsibility but things just happened. And also throughout that first chapter (which isn’t even her POV) she just frustrated me. Knowing it all, judging people, being mean to Maddie who just wants to help out. In her POV things got better… but it took me a few more pages before I warmed up to her. I loved what she did for the ferrets, and I loved how she opened up to people more.

Then there is Mikey, a boy who is shy and afraid to speak up. I loved seeing him open up more and also discover strength and courage to speak up when things go wrong. I was so proud of him. I found myself rooting for him near the end of his story. I was also happy to see him bond with Hopper who he feels connected with. They really make a sweet pair!

Lastly we have Noah. I have to say I wasn’t sure what to think of Noah at first. His best friend is a total bully, and he often just goes along with things. Thankfully I could also quickly see that he was a sweet boy with a kind heart. He just had to find a better friend. Haha. I loved seeing him become kinder and sweeter and help out. He learns to find his voice which also made me happy. The ending to this story however? I found it out of the blue, and would rather have seen Jimmy actually say sorry or make amends for the crap he pulled.

Also, I do hope that the rescue centre buys that hamster a new wheel. That is a bad and wrong wheel. Their paws could get stuck in there and break or even their heads. Please, buy good wheels.

The art really made me smile, it is such a fun and cute style and I love the colours that were used throughout the stories. I definitely want more of this artist!

All in all, if you love animals, stories with cuteness and people helping animals, love seeing kids find their voices and strength, and oh yes, LOVE good art, be sure to check out this book.

Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/

[AleJandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

just ok

[Briar's Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

MY HEART.

Anyone who knows me knows I am a sucker for adopting rescue animals. I've adopted many animals over my life, and seeing them get good homes and flourish MAKES ME SO HAPPY. So in comes this comic (for middle grade readers) all about rescuing animals and being kind to animals. It felt like a perfect fit and was absolutely everything I needed and more back when I was in middle school. Seriously, I would have never put this book down as a kid. It's fabulous.

Animal lovers will rejoice and be glued to this book, I can already tell ya that. It's a real gem with colourful illustrations (feels very cartoon-y - I love it), has friendship and animals all packed into one book. It's awesome.

There are five connected stories in this book, each one will make you dive into a world of positivity. The world of being kind to animals is strong in this book.

Four out of five stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.

[Jennyfer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written by my 8yo:

1: What was the book title?
Animal rescue friends

2: What was the book about?
With 5 storys in one book it's hard to say, but it was a combo of a lot of awesome books

3: Did you like the storys? Why/Why not?
Yes but the animals were either hurt, abandoned or given up.

4: What was the best bit about the story?
My favourite story from this book was Noah and Pepper.

5: What was the worst bit about the story?
In Maddie and Boyd he was abandonded

6: Would you recommend the book? Why/why not?
Yes to all pet lovers because they will love the suspense on every page.

7: How many stars would you give this book out of 5?
1000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
===
Animal Rescue friends is a graphic novel/comic book centered around an animal shelter. In six short stories, we meet Maddie, Bell, Mikey, Noah, Jimmy and a host of animals. The stories each teach children valuable lessons, about kindness, friendship, and helping others, and the feature animal in each story plays an important role in the children's development, for example "spiky" Noah learning how to be gentle alongside Pepper, or offbeat Mikey and the lopsided bunny.

A good book about kindness, acceptance, and friendship. And in the end, do the children rescue the animals, or do the pets rescue the people?

[Paige C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best book ever I don’t really like reading books but I loved it 😍

[Eliott · Rating 3 out of 5]

Animal Rescue Friends
Overall Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ (3/5) or 6.00/10 overall

Characters - 6

Atmosphere - 7

Writing - 6

Plot - 5

Intrigue - 6

Logic - 6

Enjoyment - 6

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a story about an animal shelter. This is a story about kids who love animals and volunteer at the shelter. The graphics were engaging and the story was told at a good pace. Animal Rescue Friends is an excellent choice for any animal lover in your family.

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Epic’s Animal Rescue Friends is a middle grade graphic novel by Meika Hashimoto, Gina Loveless, and Genevieve Kote published in 2021.

This graphic novel gets it right. It begins with Maddie rescuing a lost dog, and when she takes the dog, (Boyd) to the animal rescue, she becomes a volunteer. She meets other kids and animals.

I liked that the pictures were easy to follow. I often forget to look at the pictures, but these were colorful and clear. I liked the conflicts the characters faced because they are conflicts most kids will face.

I will purchase the entire series for my 7th grade classroom. I think all animal living kids will enjoy this series. All the animals get good care and stay healthy.

[Elisabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute and simple. I really enjoyed the thorough explanation of the comic making process in the back.

[Nessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! Great for kids who love animals. Perfect for 3rd - 5th graders.

[Jaclyn Hillis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the inclusion of all kinds of animals — cats and dogs aren’t the only animals that need rescuing, and aren’t the only possible pets. I also loved how this book showed the many types of friendship, so hopefully it’ll be relatable for all readers.

[Meghan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was received as an ARC from Andrews McMeel Publishing in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

I absolutely loved these stories and how heartwarming they were. I do have to say my favorite was the first one with Maddie and Boyd. This is a girl who loved animals so much and since moving away from the farm into a small apartment in the suburbs, she finds Boyd the Pitbull and immediately befriends him and takes him home. Since the rental agreement forbids bug pets such as dogs, Maddie has to take him to the animal shelter and does not want to leave which leads her to the brilliant idea of volunteering at the shelter itself so she can be around animals and of course visit Boyd. Each story exemplifies the relationship animals have with humans and they are so heartwarming and wonderful that it sparks positivity for young readers.

We will consider adding this title to our J Graphic Novel collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

[adaynasmile · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super cute little graphic novel about an animal rescue. In this graphic novel chapter book, a group of classmates learn about taking care of animals, telling the truth, working together, asking for help, and several other valuable skills. But because it is a graphic novel, written for younger children, it is not done in a preachy manner. It is simply learned as a byproduct of the stories themselves. At the end of the heartwarming book is a section all about the creation of comics. I found that to be an interesting little section and learned a few things that I did not know about the creation of comics and what the various names for comics actually are. Many of them I had read or heard but was not sure what they were, until I learned about them in this book. I highly recommend this book for any kid who loves animals and anyone interested in getting a glimpse into the world of creating comics.

[Marion · Rating 5 out of 5]

If your kids love animals, this is the graphic novel for them. Heck, if you love animals, you will enjoy this, as well. The graphics are engaging. The story is told at an even pace, and each story contains a life lesson. As a bonus at the end, there is detailed information regarding how a graphic novel is created. This is a definite winner in my book all the way around. I thoroughly enjoyed it! There should be more like this. Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the opportunity to review.

[Theediscerning · Rating 4 out of 5]

The right kind of wish fulfilment, for I'd much rather young women aspired to be a volunteer at a pet rescue centre than being famous for nothing, or being one of those brash harridan singers who get ten minutes' standing ovation on X-Factor or The Voice for having crap taste in music. Our heroine finds a homeless dog in the park one day, and as she needs a friend she takes him home – home to a new apartment where canines aren't allowed. So the mutt gets homed in a centre until claimed, and she gets to work there so as to spend time with him.

This being a compilation of kids' comics episodes, the first chapter establishes that set-up, before we move on – to other people, and to other pets, and to other issues. The resident volunteering girl is too insistent on her own way, and is reluctant to admit cooperation is best; a kid with issues about crowds and speaking in public has to save the day at an adoption fair; and so on. This is all heartily well-meaning, then, but for once the good intentions don't crowd everything off the page, and the morals and topics come with a lightness of touch that is most welcome. The dog that causes it all gets to be a master detective, and animals do some very cartoonish things, but the look is fine for the target audience, and this deserves to be a success. What's more, it comes with a bonus, full issue-length look at how comics are made, which was a welcome surprise. Four and a half stars.

[Linnea Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heartmelting!

[寿理 宮本 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is cute, in what feels like the standard kid book way: cute kid(s) and/or animal(s) with some minor problem, nonviolent solution (if a slice-of-life book rather than a superhero thing), maybe enemies become friends. The main issue I have is a RESCUE HORSE?!?!

I don't know if that's actually a thing, but if it is, WHYYYYYYY who is going to just drop in and happen to adopt a horse

Also it takes a whole post-narrative chapter to just talk about comics: the process of making them, who does what job, anatomy of a comic... seems like a weird decision but ok?

Follow-up:

Rescues for horses do seem to be a "thing" since, as will happen, horse owners spontaneously die, and their horses end up orphaned. It just feels strange for that to happen in a BIG CITY, where... where are these horses even kept to begin with?? *clearly has never been to a "BIG CITY" before*

My concern is still that this just seems to be a normal animal shelter but has a barn and small pasture in the back, but also only two staff?? (and one volunteer)

I mean, I read Silver Spoon; it just feels like horses need some more care than two overwhelmed staff can provide?

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maddie finds a dog in the park that she names Boyd. Her apartment doesn’t allow pets, so in the morning she and her mother take Boyd to a shelter called Animal Rescue Friends. Here Maddie meets Bella, a volunteer at the shelter who needs to learn how to accept help from people. When Maddie starts volunteering at the shelter as well, they get off to a rocky start because Bella doesn’t want Maddie to help. But eventually, Bella understands that Maddie loves the animals, too, and is a responsible helper.

At an adoption day, we meet Mikey whose family is looking for an animal to adopt. Mikey doesn’t like being around a lot of people or being the center of attention and finds his way into the shelter where Bella gives him a chance to help with the rabbits. His love of the rabbits helps Mikey to speak up when a bully named Jimmy (and his sidekick Noah) try to set the rabbits loose.

Noah, though, sees the light when he discovers a cat who is hurt and takes it to the shelter, too.

Cute, quick read for students in 2nd grade and above.

[Stephanie Tournas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Four kids get involved with rescue pets and come to be friends in this early elementary graphic novel. Maddie finds a lost pit bull at the park, and takes him to Animal Rescue Friends, the neighborhood shelter. Bell volunteers at the shelter and becomes fond of Kiki, a surrendered ferret. Mikey, who is very shy and stutters, meets an injured rabbit at the rescue and sees in it a kindred soul. Noah becomes attached to a stray cat he names Pepper. Each child finds that a rescued animal helps them personally; even the bully, Jimmy becomes a better person.

Easy to read, standard shaped panels, bright colors and bold black typeface make this perfect for kids learning to navigate graphic novels. An engaging extra section entitled “We Make Comics” at the end provides insight into the process the authors and other collaborators use to produce a graphic novel.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good premise for a graphic novel and I'm not surprised it's popular, since so many kids love animals and the idea of helping care for them. Since my own kid has volunteered at shelters, I'm aware that the rules for kids caring for animals at shelters are pretty strict, at least where we live, where they can hardly do anything when they're younger, and even then an adult needs to accompany them. So the whole idea that these upper-elementary/middle-school kids would have the responsibilities they seem to have at the shelter in this book seems pretty unrealistic. But there wouldn't really be a book without doing it that way. The social situations and resolutions are pretty simplistic and formulaic, which make it a good choice for younger readers who also like Babysitter's Little Sister.

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute stories about kids finding their meaning and friendship through contact with animals (and each other) at an animal shelter.
Maddie finds stray dog, "Boyd", takes it home but not allowed dog in apt; takes to shelter. Goes back to visit him and eventually convinces another helper, Bell, to let her volunteer there. A boy whose "friend" is leading him into petty vandalism finds a better way with a rabbit with vestibular syndrom. Another, same, rescues a cat. And Maddie snags a dog-sitting job when Boyd's real owner turns up, but her sitter failed by losing the dog.
Kids being responsible.
First in a series.
Not beautiful, but attractive and expressive faces on kids and animals

[Gretchen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great graphic novel that combines two topics that almost all students love - animals and friends! While I think it is geared toward some of our younger readers, I think some of our older elementary readers would love it as well not only because the stories cover topics that most kids will relate to in one way or another. I also love the fact that in the back of the book there is fantastic information about how graphic novels are made. I found myself really slowing down in that section because I was interested as well. Definitely one I will need to add to my book shelves.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

In five interweaving stories, kids help out animals with their local shelter, Animal Rescue Friends. It's not just cats and dogs, there's bunnies, ferrets, and more. There's friendship, helping others, and adorable others. It's got the appeal of Baby-Sitters Club with the drawing style, but it skews a bit younger because each story is short without too much conflict or super difficult vocabulary. For fans of Critter Club, Allergic, and animal stories!

[PixieART · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 chapters of comics about kids with animals with lessons in friendship, asking for help, confidents in speaking up, responsibility, and shelter adoption.
Recommend for all ages.

Perfect for a kids first comic, complete with a final bonus chapter, "We make comics", teaching how they make comic storyboards, the writing and pictures come together to tell a story. Also with a clossary and about the authors and illustrator section. Great for teaching kids about the comic writing process.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really understand why the kids are so drawn to these books. The short chapters, each with their own engaging story, are easy for them to follow, and it’s wonderful how everything ties together. I love that the books teach valuable lessons about hard work and responsibility, especially through the inclusion of animals. It speaks to their imagination and helps them relate these important themes to their own lives.

[Burris N · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this graphic novel series kids volunteer at a local animal rescue shelter. The stories include a cast of fun animals, a groups of friends, colorful illustrations. Within each story is a life lesson for middle grades readers. There is also information on how graphic novels are created. I think these stories are high interest for many readers.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a cute story for young animals lovers! Each character ends up helping in some way at the Animal Rescue, making new friends, being their authentic selves, and standing up for what they believe in. Great graphic novel for 6-10 year olds who love animals, helping, and are looking to start or continue their chapter book reading journey.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maddie finds a stray dog and names him Boyd. She takes him to an animal rescue so that he can be taken care of. Maddie falls in love with all the animals there and becomes a volunteer so she can help. She makes friends with the other volunteers and they take care of the animals together. If you love animal stories and finding out how to make your own comics this is the book for you.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Five kids and their pets are introduced in this graphic novel. I think there are 4 books in the series. At the end, it explains how comics are made which was fun and interesting.

Eliana’s review: “I love this. The pets and the kids. It’s funny that Jimmy gets attacked by geese. Can we get the next one?”

[Melinda Bender · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maddie volunteers at an animal shelter after finding a lost dog so she can still spend time with him. Taking care of animals is a big responsibility and knowing when to let go can be hard. Perfect story for animal lovers.