CRABGRASS

Opening this book is a risk.

Readers of this collection of comic strips may find that they can’t stop quoting the funniest lines. For example: “I think complicated is just a word adults use when they don’t get it either.” Or: “Squirrels are like little super heroes, huh?” The squirrel joke, admittedly, makes more sense when it’s accompanied by drawings of a squirrel soaring aerodynamically between a power line and a tree. The premise of the strip is simple: Miles is an only child in one of the few Black families on Crabgrass Drive. Kevin is White and the middle child in a large family. The two of them become instant best friends. Some elements may feel familiar to fans of comics. Linus has his security blanket, and Kevin used to tote around a toy rabbit named Crumbs. More important, the characters are always playing tricks on each other, much like Lucy pulling away the football just before Charlie Brown kicks it. One incident involves firecrackers inside a peanut butter–and-jelly sandwich. Bondia also has some of Bill Watterson’s gift for dynamic movement and expressions. And a few moments are as poignant and bittersweet as scenes from “Calvin and Hobbes” and “Peanuts.” When Kevin’s distant father leaves his family, Miles asks, “Is it bad that I didn’t notice?” And Kevin responds, “Nah. Hardly anyone did.”

The author has learned exactly the right lessons from the history of comics.