Ariol #3

A lively chase scene sets the tone for this third volume of Emmanuel Guibert and Marc Boutavant's charming French series, with Ariol — the blue-eared little donkey — sprinting alongside a pink pig while a boisterous gang of animal classmates (a duck, a cat, a horse, and more) scrambles along a brick-walled sidewalk behind them. The subtitle "Bête comme un âne, sale comme un cochon…" plays delightfully on French expressions, hinting at the warm, mischievous humor that defines this Bayard Poche pocket edition from 2003. Boutavant's rounded, expressive character designs burst with personality, making this an utterly appealing addition to one of France's most endearing all-ages comics series.