Poppy & Sam and the Hunt for Jam

Sam Panda is done hibernating in his squash house in the snow. He wants to make rosehip jam, and, for that, he needs his best pot, kindling, rosehip berries, and honey. But where did he put his best pot? And where will he find rosehip berries in the depths of winter? First things first; Sam sets off to find his best pot which he lent to Snuggles Molesy. In return for the loan, Sam gets some yummy (with slug bits and pepper!) worm soup which, in turn, he trades with Maggie the bird for help in finding kindling. Simone the mouse gives Sam rosehip berries from the family’s winter store. Finally, all that's left to find is the honey, but then it starts to snow heavily, and Sam gets lost. Meanwhile, in their pumpkin house, Poppy is snowed in and worrying about Sam...

Poppy & Sam and the Hunt for Jam is a picture book that reads like an introduction to the graphic novel format. Being larger than easy reader sizes, it's easier to follow the illustrations as there is more room for both pictures and text. Because the panels are large and sized and placed in a uniform manner, there is minimal confusion about reading order. Design-wise, there are no fancy diagonal cuts or insets; everything is kept simple and minimal. There is plenty of white space around and between the panels, and the speech bubbles are, likewise, large and carefully placed, up-down, left-to-right, so as to make the reading order clear.

The characters and background are vivacious in detail without being busy or exaggerated (no "POW!"s here, but sweat drops, stars and a "BOINK!" do appear). The colours are soft and warm, and the overall impression is of coloured pencils and ink although I think at least some of it must be digitally created. The translation from French is natural. The story, itself, is a gentle meander through a winter landscape, the happy-go-lucky Sam meeting and making friends who are happy to help him with his jam-making. Poppy's valid concern for Sam in the snow is eased by the help of Ursula the bear, and the friends end with a happy jam party that culminates in a gorgeous double-spread nap scene, surrounded by crocuses blooming in the snow. I think some terms like hibernating, kindling, scrumptious, or rosehip season could be unfamiliar to readers, but the context is enough for them to figure the meanings out. Poppy & Sam and the Hunt for Jam would be equally great for reading with a grownup or reading on one's own.