Red and Rover: Fun's Never Over

by Brian Basset

A charming new comic collection, just right for middle grade readers, about the love and friendship between a boy and his dog! Based on the award-winning comic strip by Brian Basset.

Follow the adventures of 10-year-old Red, a boy who dreams of going to space and loves baseball, and his dog Rover, a loyal friend and chaser of squirrels. Whether flying through space, bouncing on the moon, fishing, waiting for Popsicle Pete, or delivering the paper, these two friends do everything together.

Genres: Graphic Novels

176 pages, Paperback

First published June 7, 2022

About the author

Brian Basset is an American comic strip artist (Red and Rover). Previously, he worked as an editorial cartoonist for The Seattle Times from 1978 to 1994, as well as being the creator and artist behind the syndicated comic strip Adam, later changed to Adam@home (1984–2009).

Reviews

[Robin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. Not very funny, tropes on a boy and his dog. Not for me, although the art style is great.

[Ms. Yingling · Rating 3 out of 5]

Copy provided by the Publisher

I did not know that I had been reading the Red and Rover comic strip for its entire existence; The Columbus Dispatch has carried the Sunday strip since 2000, as far as I can remember. I hadn't seen the daily strips, though, and was fun to be introduced to these. Red, an exuberant 8-10 year old, has a great friend in his dog, Rover, and the two communicate telepathically; Rover doesn't really talk, but Red seems to understand his thoughts. They go on lots of adventures, get into some trouble, and love each other dearly. There were many strips that made me laugh (Red comments that the fly in Rover's dish is dead, just like all of the other meat Rover eats, so Rovers munches the fly), and some were very poignant, as when Red comments that he lives for Saturday morning cartoons, and after Rover replies that he lives for Red, the two go out to play instead of watching t.v.

The color pallette is simple, with red, blue, yellow, and green, and lots of white space. There's a 1950s vibe, with Red's cuffed pants and t shirts, and the clothing on the parents. The setting is a suburban neighborhood with plenty of outdoor space for the two to camp out, jump in leaves, and catch bullfrogs.

There's no social commentary, nothing more serious than a lemonade stand, and was just what I needed to read at the end of the year. Red isn't as wily as Big Nate, but his relationship with Rover gives a gentler Calvin and Hobbes feel to the strips. My students will definitely love this one.

[Melanie Dulaney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brian Basset has apparently been doing Red & Rover cartoon strips for years and an Internet search shows an earlier collection in book form but this was my first. I am officially in love with 10 year old Red and his sidekick/dog friend, Rover. They do all the things a boy and his dog would do together and the love that develops is prominent throughout this delightful graphic novel for younger elementary and up. None of the biting sarcasm of Calvin & Hobbes, just fun and lots and lots of heart. Lots of white space on the page and large panels make this approachable for the most reluctant of readers, but the vocabulary is far from “babyish” and much inferencing is likely to naturally occur with the clarity of the drawings and the familiarity that most students will have with the events depicted. Highly recommended for graphic novel collections where Big Nate and anything dog-related are popular.

Thanks for the finished copy, Andrews McMeel Publishing!

[Nancy Bandusky · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an adorable collection of a young boy (Red) and his dog (Rover) and their time together. Some of the selections are extremely touching showing the love the boy has for his dog, and the love the dog has for his boy. The boy talks and the dog thinks and so they are able to communicate with each other.

Warning - some of the comments that are made between the boy and his dog may bring tears to the eyes of dog owners, as well as plenty of laughter.

This book comes with some Red and Rover stickers at the back of the book.

[Terri Callaway · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite comic strip!! Red and Rover are so cute!!!!

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a fun book! Brian Basset perfectly captures the relationship between a dog and his boy. I just loved it!

[Sarah Estes · Rating 5 out of 5]

What more glowing things can I say about this beloved duo, Red and Rover! This book won't disappoint if you are a fan, or a new reader.

[Robyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kids kept bugging me to read this comic strip book they checked out at the library. It sort of has Calvin and Hobbs vibes and has some tender parts. It also has some potty humor, but not bad.

[Joan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charming cartoon strips about a boy, Red, and his dog, Rover.