Sweater Weather
By Sara Varon
Published by Alternative Comics
Well, this is cute.
Sara Varon's Sweater Weather is an 80-page graphic novel full of variety, with stories about friendship and happiness, and some unexpected surprises like paper dolls, a flier advertising the events of one of the stories and an educational section on beekeeping.
The lead story also led off the recent and disappointing Broad Appeal anthology, but here it benefits from at least being of a piece with the rest of the material. Varon's style marries the thick lines and naive approach of James Kochalka with the feel-good funny-animal approach of Craig Thompson in Chunky Rice mode.
Whether preparing a meal or shopping for food or reading material, or planning the opening of an indoor swimming pool, Varon's characters all meander through their lives with joy and friendship never far away. The overall result is undeniably appealing, even if it doesn't quite inhabit the corner of the medium that I personally get the biggest charge from.
Despite a couple of minor elements which may put off some parents (someone reading Bitch magazine in one panel, a character who smokes Camels), Sweater Weather will most likely find its most ardent audience in young readers. Older readers won't find it terribly challenging, but there's a dazzling amount of stuff for kids to read and do here, and it's all, well, very cute and easy on the eyes. Grade: 3.5/5