Champ

"A book with a powerful message and a book that can work on different levels with different audiences. It is a very visually striking book... that will appeal to lovers of Jon Klassen's dark humour... Younger children will appreciate the humour of gleeful 'naughtiness' in this sophisticated picture book and older children will be able to engage with the issues of family pressure, resistance, difference and non-conformity, and resilience, self-acceptance and understanding. "
-Joy Court, Books for Keeps

"The book is about high family expectations... The impact of course comes principally from the use of scale: from drawing the father as a giant stabbing his finger at his tiny son... And the minimal colours are just right... [suggesting] that home is where the pressure is... The minute pencils, pot of brushes and discarded pictures, including one hidden behind his back, reveal that he wants to be an artist... The nub of the story (and of a lot of people's experience) is all in the one spread."
-Nicolette Jones, Books for Keeps

"Readers who appreciate the tongue-in-cheek dark humor of Jon Klassen may enjoy Champ."
-Youth Services Book Review