Pup and Dragon: How to Catch an Elf

The third installment of Alice Walstead and Paul Gill’s How to Catch... graphic novel series takes on a seasonal flair with Pup and Dragon out to catch an elf. It is Christmas Eve, and Pup is excited for the holiday; however, Dragon is unfamiliar with Christmas. After Pup explains the holiday to Dragon, the two set out to help the kids catch an elf, following Santa and his elf helper from house to house (and, inexplicably, also to a grocery store). Zaniness ensues at each location: at one house they knock over the Christmas tree, another house has a mean cat, the grocery store, again, inexplicably, has a large cannon and slide, all leading to the two being foiled at every turn. They arrive back home, defeated, only to discover that, despite their misadventures, Santa has left them presents too.

The two-hander graphic novel is a tried-and-true format for early readers and relies on two opposing characters. Here, however, Pup and Dragon are similar in energy, temperament and personality and read very similarly. The book has a brisk pace as readers follow these two loveable characters on their exciting mission. However, with the 54 page length of Pup and Dragon: How to Catch an Elf, it could do with chapters or breaks for the sake of new readers who may need a place to pause.

Christmas stories can be a bit monotonous, but this narrative is refreshingly unique. The story is told entirely through speech bubbles, and the dialogue sometimes feels a little formal and can be a bit awkward. Many plot points are left unexplained - who are these “kids” Dragon and Pup talk about? Why is there suddenly a drone in one scene? Why does Santa go to a grocery store, and why is there a slide there? Transitions between locations are not given enough space on the page and feel abrupt. The drawings could help here to distinguish locations, but each house looks remarkably similar. The characters sometimes break the fourth wall, but infrequently enough that it is jarring and odd when it happens. The same can be said of a flashback scene of which there is only one.

The illustrations are cartoonish, bright and appealing with solid colour backgrounds that allow the white speech bubbles to pop. Contrary to expectations, Dragon is smaller than Pup and orange, and both characters are bipedal. Santa and the elf are drawn as expected and will be familiar to most.

For established fans of Pup and Dragon, Pub and Dragon: How to Catch an Elf is another fun installment of the series. Readers who are new to these characters will still enjoy the adventure but may enjoy it more after exploring the “Pup and Dragon” series back catalogue.