Ferg & Sons Review: Fun In The Snow In ‘Johnny Boo And The Silly Blizzard’

With two young kids at home, I’m always on the lookout for fun all-ages and kids comics for them to read and for us to read together. This has become even more important as my youngest, Parker (5) is learning to read too. Oliver (7) gets in on the action too, often reading ahead. The latest title we were able to dig into was James Kochalka’s Johnny Boo and the Silly Blizzard from Top Shelf Productions.

This graphic novella tells a fun story of Johnny Boo and his buddy Squiggle as they encounter snow for the first time. To them, it looks like ice cream has covered the ground. That feeling is reinforced by the appearance of an ice cream monster, determined to eat up all the snow with a gigantic fork. This leads to a fun adventure where a brain freeze and a tummy ache leads to a quest for mittens to stay warm.

Kochalka’s style is warm and inviting. It’s easy to get wrapped up in the wide-eyed excitement from Johnny Boo and Squiggle. Think back to the first time you saw snow and jumped into it. That feeling is perfectly captured in this book.

The story itself is funny and absolutely ridiculous, but you just kind of go with it. The characters are powered by simple and raw emotions. They’re curious and hungry, which is something we can all relate to. They accept the bizarre ideas and concepts of this world because that’s just how it is. Of course the ice cream monster would refer to his hands as grandma and grandpa. Don’t you?

The kids also dug this book quite a lot. Oliver wrote:

Do you like snow and a little treat? Well then come check out Johnny Boo and the Silly Blizzard. There are two ghosts and they eat snow because they think it’s ice cream! Then they’re tongues get cold so they put mittens on them! That was my favorite part. I rate it 9/10! Bye!

Parker is still learning the ropes of writing, so he drew a picture showing his favorite part. He had this to say:

My favorite part is when Johnny Boo said “Boo!” louder and louder and louder. BOO! It was so loud it made Squiggle fly all the way into the snow. It was a big hill. It’s a funny book. There’s some kind of guy under the snow. I’m not spoiling the book. It’s not one bit scary.

It’s safe to say that Johnny Boo and the Silly Blizzard is a hit in the Ferguson household. Both kids have already asked to read it again. It’s a quick book too so it’s easy to dig into on a cold or warm day.

Johnny Boo and the Silly Blizzard from Top Shelf Productions is currently available at your local comic shop, bookstore, and Amazon and digitally through ComiXology and Amazon Kindle.