
Dog Days
The Crush and Other Stories
$23.64
- Paperback
136 pages
- Release Date
17 November 2026
Summary
Best friends (and dogs!) Mia and Willow share the peaks and the potholes that come with friendship in the first volume in a funny and addictive middle grade graphic novel series.
Mia and Willow are dogs and best friends and they’d have it no other way—but Mia’s giant crush on a skateboarding cat named Jesse is ruining Willow’s life! The two buddies come together and apart as all BFFs do–riding bikes, complaining about homework, eating ice cream, and getting up to all kinds of hijinks.…
Book Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781662641404 |
|---|---|
| ISBN-10: | 1662641400 |
| Author: | Claudia Boldt |
| Publisher: | Astra Publishing House |
| Imprint: | Hippo Park |
| Format: | Paperback |
| Number of Pages: | 136 |
| Release Date: | 17 November 2026 |
| Weight: | 369g |
| Dimensions: | 191mm x 241mm |
| Audience Age: | 8-12 |

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Critics Review
“In this graphic novel series’ opening installment, best friends Willow and Mia—a bespectacled, introspective dachshund and an artsy, lighthearted French bulldog—navigate small, deeply felt tween dramas… Despite misunderstandings and hurt feelings, this warmly imagined world offers a gentle path toward forgiveness and reconnection. Boldt’s distinctive anthropomorphic characters, an assortment of animals with amusingly random sizes, shapes, and accessories, are beguilingly idiosyncratic, more quirky than cute. Thin outlines, soft pastel washes, and varied perspectives give the world a cozy, handcrafted feel. Sweet, lightly humorous, occasionally just a tad purposeful, this charming, friendship-centered series opener offers relatable social bumps with reassuringly soft landings.”—Booklist
“Author and illustrator Boldt specializes in anthropomorphic animal characters for her fun and entertaining stories. The characters come off as authentic in their feelings and actions, and the artistic design is on the minimalistic side, allowing the emotion of the narrative to shine through… Best shared between friends and family, this graphic novel provides an honest normalcy to growing up and is highly recommended.“–School Library Journal
“Boldt’s animal cast is pervasively adorable, from bespectacled, sibilant Ms. Snake, who heads up a multispecies classroom, to Mia and Willow, who often bike around town with Willow on the handlebars… These pals make plenty of time for ice cream outings, too, which leavens the pathos and angst. A friendship tale that navigates heavy moments with a light touch.”—Kirkus Reviews
Claudia Boldt
Claudia Boldt graduated with a master’s degree in illustration from the Glasgow School of Art and is best known for her colorful picture book illustrations. She is a native of Germany, but decided she was fed up with the rain and currently lives in California.
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