Chocolate Cheeks — Steven Weissman

Hilarious, disgusting, mysterious, and cuter than a puppy playing with akitten, Chocolate Cheeks is the next great ""Yikes"" book from StevenWeissman. The Pullapart Boy (a 21st Century Frankenstein''s monster for kids),his social circle having dwindled down to his stupid brother (Dead Boy), theirdead dog (Elzie Crisler), and a fat kid that nobody likes (""Chubby"" Cheeks),attempts to make some new friends.

Meanwhile, across town, the Little Tin-Stars (Cow-Boy and Cow-Girl) are ina desperate fight against the forces of nature, hostile natives, a rivermonster, their own horse and a man called Chocolate Cheeks.

Juxtaposing gag-driven, newspaper-fashioned strips (employed to greateffect in 2006''s Chewing Gum In Church) with the sprawling, Western comicapproach of his legendary ""Look Out For Big Della"" (from 2002''s White FlowerDay), Chocolate Cheeks is Weissman at his best: stunning, memorable,poignant, hilarious, and just gross enough to delight the children.