Looking for a great graphic novel about friendship and animal stewardship? Check out PAWS: Gabby Gets it Together by Nathan Fairbairn and Michele Assarasakorn. Think The Baby-Sitters Club but with pets.

Gabby, Priya and Mindy are best friends. They are all in the same class at school and although they are very different, they all have one thing in common: a love of pets! None of them own a pet so they come up with some interesting ways to get closer to the adorable floofs. When they come up with the idea for a pet walking business, things are okay at first but you can imagine the conflict that arises with three different personalities and some feisty pooches.

Nathan Fairbairn has created an incredible new series that will be as beloved to this generation of readers as The Baby-Sitters Club was for me. I liked the choice to have a group of three friends. Triads are always THE WORST in real life and really hard to navigate as young people. I really loved how this story showed all of that conflict just letting readers know how common and how tricky a group can be. In the end, when the girls sit down and actually listen to each other, they are able to resolve their business differences and make a plan for the future of PAWS.

All three main characters come from different cultures and have different family situations. Mindy is a latch key kid with a super fun mom, Gabby’s dad is a helicopter parent, Priya’s parents immigrated to Vancouver from India when she was little. There is an amazing moment in the story about Priya’s mom and her allergies. She carries an epi-pen which is vividly depicted in the art and it comes into play during the story. This was one of the first books that I have read with some allergy representation in the story. There is an opportunity for Nathan Faribairn to create so many different stories that will propel this graphic novel series I cannot wait to read what else he has in store.

The illustrations by Michele Assarasakorn fuel this story which is not surprising given it’s a graphic novel. Her art is bold and colourful and has an animation quality that readers will really enjoy. Loud when required and soft when the tone is somber allows the art to pair seamlessly with the story. Michele and Nathan make a fantastic team!