I abandoned this after 60 pages and still feeling super confused about what was going on. I felt like it kept dropping its train of thought and going in some random new direction. I know there's a fox and a girl and that the fox likes bugs but that's about all I know after 60 pages. The illustrations were cute.

When I had the opportunity to read Pistouvi, I was very excited because I like graphic novels a lot, in this case when I saw the cover I had my first good impression, I though and I still think that the cover was an excellent choice for the book. But I have to say that from the beginning it was a very weird story. I keep thinking what was the purpose of this story and why the author took all those bad decisions about the story. Without the talent of the illustrator, I have to say that this graphic novel would be one of the worst. As I said the cover was what drew me to this graphic novel, and to be honest, the art is the only thing worth mentioning at all.

I know that not all stories are lineal, that is something good sometimes, but in this case it was pretty bad because the reader is reading something quite interesting and suddenly the scene ends with no explanation, then the next chapter or the next scene is completely different from what we were reading. While I was reading I thought that it was a fantasy story, something for children at least, but that is a complete mistake, there is information difficult to understand, then a weird drawing appears and you simply disconnect from the reading.

If I had known the story before it was published, I would recommend to the creators to pay attention to finishing the scenes, and that the dialogues should be more accurate and not just dialogues that want to give an idea but not all the idea. Also, I didn't like any of the main characters, they have a strange personality that I just didn't quite understand.

In the book description it says "A beautiful, lyrical fable about the inevitable transition from childhood freedom to adult responsibility." But no, it is not a beautiful fable and I did not saw the inevitable transition anywhere, in the end something happens that could represent freedom, but the story handles it in an unpleasant way, which could be better and more digestible.

Pistouvi is a character who had a lot of potential but who got lost in a poorly managed story that is difficult to understand and that fails to please the reader.

Pistouvi is a mystical read that reminds me a lot of watching a Studio Ghibli movie. The art is beautiful and the story is creative in its telling of a young girl and her fox friend, but overall, it fell a bit flat for me. While I can tell this was supposed to be about growing up, the end was rather sudden and quite sad compared to the rest of the story. Also, almost nothing makes sense, which somewhat fits the Ghibli feel, but it isn’t executed nearly as well. Lastly, given that this graphic novel is nearly 200 pages, I expected more from the development. The birds are never explained and all the characters lacked depth, making it hard to connect with any of them. I’m a bit disappointed, but the art and magical feel of the book is good enough that I don’t regret picking it up.

Pistouvi is an anthropomorphized fox that lives in a tree house with his friend Jeanne. This graphic novel is reminiscent of the Japanese term 'isekai' which is used to refer to works of fiction that are soothing to read. Although the ending caused me to jolt with emotion in contrast to my experience of the remainder of the book, I quickly relaxed again when ruminating on the themes of this piece as a whole. The end was sad but beautiful. I felt that "Pistouvi" was an artistic expression of growing up into responsibility and moving forward. The execution was not up to par though. Despite the length capping at 192 pages, I didn't feel like I got to know the characters enough to feel emotionally invested. The book is episodic, giving short vignettes of the lives of Jeanne and Pistouvi. It gives you the impression that there is more to these characters but I wish that we could have been invited to learn more. Overall, the art was beautiful and I would definitely read another graphic novel with this artist in future. However, the story was flat for me and I can only think of a select few friends that I would recommend this to.

Pistouvi is a cute fox who lives with his friend , a girl with magical music instrument and wind.
They have few nauances around them in form of birds and a beard man with tractor.
They plant a tree in their kitchen and then strange things start to happen.
Fox is irritated with birds who put their feathers on her.
Artwork is excellent. It is simple and innovative.
Backgrounds are great especially shadow effects of light are wonderful.
A very good graphic novel.
I Liked character of beared man.
A easy recommendation for graphic novel lovers.

I liked the artwork and the Ghibli feel of this story. I could easily have seen this as a Studio Ghibli film. Unfortunately it doesn't translate for me on paper. It doesn't have a plot and is more of a collection of short comics. The ending is terribly depressing and sad. Ultimately it seems like there is no point to this story.

This book had wonderful artwork and the world had some some of the most unusual creatures and beings which made it seem whimsical and mystical. I loved the cute friendship between Jeanne and Pistouvi, Best friends for ever, and how they loved to play together and always stay close to one another.
Ill be honest i felt a little confused reading it, as if we were jumping from one moment to another. I really would've liked to know the reason as to why the birds were such despicable creatures, to be cautioned against. Maybe if there were to be a following book giving more info on the world and the background of the characters would definitely be awesome

This is a really pretty book. Great art and fun story. I would definitely recommend for friends and family

An absolutely stunning story told with grace and in a fantasy realm, but applicable to everyone. After reading the first few pages, I was captivated by the beautiful artwork and I couldn't help but wish to be a little girl in a treehouse with a fox. In a story about growing up, this definitely brings back that feeling of the innocence and strength childhood provides (if you're privileged of course).

The progression of the story parallels real life. It's seamless, yet sudden and something that feels timeless ends with the blink of an eye.

I would read this for the artwork alone, but the story is hauntingly true and a delight in itself. It really captures how growing up can just feel like the rest of the world changed and not necessarily yourself.

A quick, emotional, and beautiful read for anyone who has a couple of minutes to spare.

I was expecting to really enjoy this book based on the blurb and cover. Yet, unfortunately, that wasn't the case.
The story is very disjointed and I found it impossible to follow. Many scenes felt out of place and were left unexplained. Big chunks of the actual story felt as if they were missing meaning that the story was left with no plot at all.
I feel that I wouldn't call this book a bildungsroman as I didn't really see much character development. <spoiler>Pistouvi changes physically and leaves his friend but his departure is left mostly unexplained. The birds are said to be evil but this is never shown to the reader. If fact, if they are so evil, then why do the main characters want to play with them or provoke them? It just didn't make sense. </spoiler>
I think that the art is beautiful and had so much potential. I wouldn't really recommend this book because I just felt that there wasn't a story to talk about. I wish that there had been because I really wanted to enjoy this book.

Let’s start off by talking about the artwork in this graphic novel!! It’s stunning.

BUT, that was about all I can find worth talking about in this story. I felt like there was no plot and most of the time I didn’t understand what was happening.

The 2 stars is purely for the artwork.

This book was received as an ARC from Diamond Book Distributors - Magnetic Press in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

I absolutely loved this book and the story behind it. I am a fan of children with spirit animals and I haven't seen a child have a fox as their companion and the adventures they have throughout the book are so exciting. The bird invasion was so creatively written and drawn, It reminded me of the pig invasion of Angry Birds but this time, it is a fox and a girl and I knew it would be a good graphic novel to follow along and recommend to our young community who absolutely adore graphic novels.

We will consider adding this title to our YGraphic novel collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

My initial feeling is that I like this book, but I can't really describe why.

It's a strange book. There is animal friendship, magical beings, and a fantastical setting. The story makes the reader question the ambiguity of good and bad between the characters. It also addresses the nature of childhood fears like nightmares, irrational discomforts, and creature horror. Pistouvi is the titular fox, but this is not really his story. It's about a girl who learning that the world around her is not necessarily changing, but she is --she can't keep on being reckless and feckless.

The wind and the tractor are seemingly stand-ins for parents in an allegorical tale about growing out of childhood with growing pains. This book was initially marketed as horror and it is really easy to see that in the ominous chapter set-ups, eerie magic, and the birds.

Wow I’m so lost, I don’t think I understood this story. This graphic novel is a fable about the inevitable transition from childhood freedom to adult responsibility. However, I didn’t understand the different metaphors and subtle messages. I can feel that every character had a symbolic value but I didn’t understand which one. This might be due to the fact that I didn’t read the summary beforehand and hence, was expecting a story and not a fable. After a good night of sleep and some thinking, I think I can say I understand the fable a bit better though I’m still confused. The drawings were nice to look at and very cute, especially the small bugs. I enjoyed the character of the wind a lot. I don’t think I would recommend this one to everyone, just to people who enjoy fable and vague stories.

2.5/5

While the book intends to be a seemingly fable-based story, I fail to see how it draws us to the story. Plot wise, it sounds interesting. The dialogue at times flows well and is engaging; other times, the dialogue is clunky and confusing and left me wondering, “What’s actually going on?”

For a storyline like this, it didn’t flow as well as I’d hoped it would and the images weren’t as colorful as I’d hoped they’d be. Even adding one color additional to the black, white, and gray colors would add a layer of importance to the story. For fairy tales, fables, and mythology retellings, I think color is even more important given that color adds significance (I.e. a red apple, long golden hair, etc.). For a fable rendition like this one, the lack of color feels bland. I’m hoping this changes in the final product, of course.

However, I think the ending is powerful in its own way. Its message will hopefully ring with many readers as it leaves you with more questions about this coming-of-age story, and strikes as a personal truth for any older readers like myself.

Additionally, even though the artwork is rather bland, the images (minus the dialogue) transition well and don’t feel like they rapidly jump between scenes. This is extremely important when developing a graphic novel and is not an easy feat.

I would have to give this 2/5 stars, due to the above issues, and also (primarily) because I felt more confused than engaged throughout this book.

This book is a series of vignettes in the life of Pistouvi, the titular fox, and the little girl that he lives with. These stories are loosely connected, which is not necessarily unusual--but the execution leaves far more questions than answers. The art is well done, but I feel like the story just doesn't come across. What's the deal with the birds? Is the tractor man literally part tractor, part man? What's the deal with the ocarina? And what was that ending? Does this book make more sense in the original language? Maybe it's a cultural thing? I just don't know, and that honestly makes me sad. It's not a terrible graphic novel, but it really just didn't do it for me--and I like this kind of ephemeral, magical childhood content.

I saw this graphic novel two years ago and now that I've finally read it... I'm a little disappointed.
In this "fantasy" world, Pistouvi is a little anthromorphic fox who live with a human girl - Jeanne - in a tree house. They spend their days playing, making food, and "fighting" birds. It seems there aren't adults here, except fot the beautiful Wind and the loud angry Giant who plows the fields where they live.
Could we talk about BIRDS? This is a world where if you listen to birds, you’ll turn into one. I didn't realize it until I had a second reading. Pistouvi is scared of birds, scared of understand them and change into a bird himself. But I think they are not the enemies. They live their lives without bothering anyone.

Pistouvi is a story about the experience of growing up, the fear of abandoning childhood and discover a new "world": adolescence. There are some "dark" vibes... like a rock on your heart and a kind of anxiety for Pistouvi and Jeanne throughout the story.

All seems a dream. The art style is great, dynamic and evocative.

My rating: 3/5

Synopsis:
Jeanne, a little girl, lives in a treehouse with a mischievous fox name Pistouvi. They live in a magical world where they do not seem to be any adults, except for a wind goddess-like woman (mother figure) and a giant who plows the field (father figure). This giant appears to be mean and angry, but that is only a façade, he is very gentle on the inside. Together, Jeanne and Pistouvi play, redecorate their house, and take “field trips”. Their favourite activity has to do with the birds they encounter, and from whom Pistouvi seem especially afraid. They both try to scare the birds and run from them. It is a charming story of how the friendship between the two develops as Jeanne starts to grow up, but Pistouvi (who represents her inner child/adolescent) does not.

Opinion:
The cover, although gorgeous, does give the impression that this is more of a children’s book that it actually is. I found this book endearing a very interesting, it deals with important topics such as the transition between child and adult. The girl living on her own with an unconventional animal definitely gives Pipi Longstocking vibes.
The atmosphere surrounding the characters, although charming, is not deeply explored, and can get confusing at times, as if part of the story did not get explained properly.
As for the illustrations, they are beautiful, the best part of the novel by far. It creates a magical atmosphere, and a beautiful world you will not want to abandon, but the opposite, it left me wanting to learn more about it.

I wish I could give this adorable yet heartbreaking graphic novel a full five stars but unfortunately, it was a bit of a let down for me for a few obvious reasons which would be apparent for those who've read it.
The book is set in this magical fantasy world with the main characters being Pistouvi, a fox-like creature, and Jeanne, the little girl who cares for him. The only adults are the benevolent yet mysterious motherly figure Wind and the loud angry Giant who plows the fields where they live and who also has a secret soft side. Jeanne and Pistouvi live in an elaborate treehouse alone and away from the birds, who in this world pose a threat to Pistouvi because if Pistouvi ever understood what the birds were saying he would turn into one himself.
The book contains little vignettes of Pistouvi and Jeanne's lives, which I wish were more fleshed out because honestly, this entire novel feels unfinished. The reader is given no sense of the rules of this topsy turvy whimsical world and no clear beginning or end to each of the chapters.
The art is unbelievably lovely. It's really well done and easy to read. It may have been improved with a spot of color in my opinion.
I also get the metaphors of childhood, and parents, and the experience of growing up throughout the book and it's very obvious we are meant to see Pistouvi as a personification of Jeanne's own adolescence.
If you loved reading the 'Wayward Children' series this would be right up your alley with its whimsical yet dark undertones. I would've definitely appreciated it more if the story was more cohesive and made me understand the characters better.

My 3 stars are all illustration related. I couldn’t really get into the actual comic, but the graphics are awesome